Living in Chains
by Transparent Existance
Summary: Set around Josh is Done, Drake is walking home when he is abducted by Brendon Montgomery From my Criminal Minds fic Sold This fic is about what happens to him there, with a few cameos from the CM's cast to try and save him. This fic is a bit of a song fic, based loosely off of Emilie Autumn's Fight Like A Girl album.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I make no claim to own Drake and Josh, nor am I profiting from this written work.

**A/N:** Hello again readers! As it stands, this may be my final DRAKE and JOSH fanfic, I still have many Ideas, but, there just arnt enough reviews coming in to keep me going. I don't need reviews to write, they just give me a sence of satisfaction and direction with each story. This fic is going to be a bit diferent then my previous ones, with less attention to the family and more attention to the main character and whats going on with him. The Criminal minds characters arnt going to play very big roles, but, I'm using a character from a CM's fic I wrote called _Sold_, and thought that it'd be fun to bring them into it as well.

This fic is written partly for **SorrowNoMore**, who asked for a "_Josh is Done_" Fic, its starts just after Drake leaves the Chemistry classroom. Before he gets home. It is also inspired by parts of **Emillie Autumn's **book_ The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls_, and her_ Fight Like a Girl _album. So, here it is, and I hope that those of you who do read it will enjoy it. **Thank you**.

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_One week before the begining..._

"Thats the one I want." Brendon said as he sipped his coffee. He was sitting with his right hand man, Paul, listening to a local band play music.

"The singer?" Paul asked, eyeing the boy carefully.

"He'd be the perfect addition to my collection." Brendon said with a smile. "I dont have a musicion."

"If that's the one you want, then I'll get him." Paul promised before finishing his coffee.

The pair left their total on the table, along side a five dollar tip and left the Brew Note. Paul would spend the next week watching the kid's routine, and Brendon would ready his house for the arival of his new pet.

_One week later..._

Drake stood in front of the classroom, arms slightly numb and water dripping everywhere. He was angry, a bit scarred, but most of all he was sad. This last week had been the worst of his life, all he wanted was to have Josh back, for things to be back to normal. He looked at Josh with hurt eyes and took a quick breath.

"Josh!"

"What?" Josh snapped back, his worry for Drake gone and replaced by anger.

"I'm sorry. I was wrong, OK? I was wrong!" he admitted, tears forming behind his eyes.

"What do you mean?" Josh asked.

"Man, I'm sorry I made you late for your exam, I'm sorry I ran over your bike! I'm sorry I'm probably the worst brother in the world and you're way better off without me. And I need you more than you need me, I need you way more than you need me! I just-I just... I'm sorry Josh... I'm sorry..." Drake said as he left the classroom, tears in his eyes.

He couldnt stay at school. he just wanted to go home, to get out of his wet clothes and be alone. His mind was racing as he thought about what he'd said. He'd been completly honest then, and he hoped that Josh knew it.

Paul was sitting in his car down the street from the school when he saw Drake coming, alone. A sly smile crossed his lips as he mixed Ketamine into a bottled water. He waited a few more moments then stepped outside of his car.

"Hey kid, you allright?" he asked, feighning concern.

Drake stopped walking, looking at the man then shaking his head. He didnt want to talk, he just wanted to go home.

Paul stepped forward, offering a smile before trying again. "Do you need a ride home?"

"I can get there myself." Drake said before starting to walk again.

Paul forced the smile to stay on his lips as he began to get annoyed. "You're soaking wet." he pointed out.

Drake stopped again. He didnt know this guy, he didnt want to be bothered. "Sorry man, I don't know you." He said apologetically.

"I understand." Paul said. "_Stranger danger_." He chuckled lightly. "I was waiting for my kid, thought I could help you out while I waited."

Drake took a moment to look the guy over. He looked normal enough, his car was normal. Nothing suspicious came to mind. "Are you sure you wouldn't mind?" he asked. He was dripping wet, and didnt really want to walk all the way home.

"It's no problem." Paul smiled. "Do you live far?" he all ready knew the answer.

"Not really." Drake said as he approached the car.

Drake got into the passenger seat, bucking up as he watched paul get into the car and start it up.

Paul offered Drake the bottle of water. "You thirsty?' He asked.

Drake took the bottle. "Thanks." he said before opening it and taking a drink. He gave paul the address and waited as the car began to move.

"I know where that is." Paul said with a smile. "Looks like you've had a rough day." He said, trying not to show his aggitation with the water soaking into the seats of his car.

"I don't wanna talk about it." Drake said shaking his head as he began to feel dizzy. He took another drink of water, watching as the road seemed to move around him. He couldn't believe how tired he was.

"fair enough." Paul said as he watched Drake's head bob back and forth. He was getting tired.

After five minutes of driving, they were getting close to Drake's house. Drake tried to read the street signs as his vision blurred and he felt his body grow numb. His mind snapped as he watched paul turn down the wrong street. "My house...is the other way..." he said, voice growing weaker.

"I know." paul said with a cruel smile as he looked into Drake's now frightened eyes.

Drake fumbled with the seat belt as he tried to get it off. He wanted out of the car now! The feeling from his fingers had gone and tears of frustration had formed in his eyes as he looked toward the window and tried to roll it down. It was locked. Weakened cried for help escaped his lips as he slowly fell into unconciousness.

Paul continued to drive until he came into an empty lot near a rundown warehouse. He steppped out of the car and around to the passenger side, carefully pulling Drake out and laying him in the trunk. Once he was there he handcuffed his wrists behind his back and wrapped a zip-tie around his ankles. He then pressed three strips of duct tape over his mouth. Paul leaned forward and took Drake"s phone and wallet out of his pockets and shut the lid to the trunk.

He got back into the car, smiling at how easy the abduction had been, and continued the three hour drive to Brendon's home.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Josh's drive home from school had been isolated and slow. All he could think about were the things that Drake had said. He hadnt known just how much the seperation had been affecting drake, but that pain in his voice, the hurt in his eyes had made it perfectly clear. All he wanted now was to go home and apologize, because, honestly, he missed having drake in his life.

He parked the car in the garage and headed inside, seeing meghan on the living room couch he stopped briefly. "Is Drake upstairs?" he asked.

"No." She said, not looking over at him. As much as she liked to torment her brothers, the way Josh had been making feel irritated her.

Josh starred at her for a moment more then headed up the stairs. he'd thought that Drake had headed straight home after bursting out of class. Where else would he go?

Josh sat down on his bed and pulled out his cell phone to call Drake. It rang until it went to voicemail. he took a deep breath. "Hey drake, listsen man, I'm sorry for the way i've been this week. When you get home, I wanna talk..." he couldnt think of what to say, and the words he'd said felt weird. Josh hung up the phone and started working on his homework as he waited for Drake to come home.

By the time dinner was ready Josh had called Drake three more times, each time getting his voicemail, and every time he hung up. If drake was mad at him that was fine, but this seemed rediculous. he closed his books and headed downstairs, stopping in the dining room.

"Mom, have you heard from Drake?" he asked, trying not to let his concern show.

""No," she said, her own worry evident. "I tried to call him, but there was no answer. He hasnt left the house all week, and now h's not here..." She said as she set the dishes on the table.

"He left school early today, I thought he'd be home..." Josh said quietly.

Audrey stopped what she was doing and looked at Josh. "he just left school?"

"Yeah, he got chemicals on him in Chemistry and had to get in the shower, and he left..." Josh said, not wanting to talk about the rest.

"have you tried calling any of his friends, to see if he's with them?" She asked, getting a bit more worried.

"Not yet," Josh said. "I'll go do it now." he turned away and headed upstairs, the sinking feeling in his gut knawing at him.

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He wasnt sure where he was, he only knew that he was afraid. He couldn't see anything, couldnt move his arms. But he could feel the cool steel biting into his wrists. he could hear the sounds of the car in his ears, felt himself bumping along. _I'm in the trunk_... He thought as he strained to see anything.

Tears fell as he remembered getting into the car, the ride home. That look on the guys face... He hadnt even gotten his name! He let his head fall back as he tried to pull free of the bindings, as he screamed hoping that anyone might hear him.

Drake cried as the car continued to move, as the darkness held him alone and afraid.


	2. Tears in darkness

**A/N:** This one goes to the reviews I got that made me think, and remember why I really do this. Writing Fanfiction has been a hastle for me over the last few years because I can only do it when my Fiancee is gone or asleep, I struggle to stay awake when I'm beyond tired to write these stories down, so that all of you can enjoy them. Really, I'm just glad that people are taking the time to read them. It makes it all worth it! :)

~**An avid reader **- I didnt think you were criticizing at all. Your review actually helped me out. I didnt realize untill I read what I'd written from another persons point of view how selfish and shallow it sounded. Thank you! I love to write, I do it to get through personal emotions and just out of a love of doing it. It's never really been 'just for the reviews' because people who've said they wont finish a fic without them have always bothered me. I like them for the help they give me with the subject matter of my fanfics. I never know, expecially when writing in a fandom like Drake and Josh, if the subject matter is too dark. There arnt many fics like the ones I write, so I'm very worried about how they're being recieved. I've gotten some mean PM's about some of the chapters that have made me question wether or not to continue them. Thank you so very much for helping me out with that.

~ **l-Angel-of-Darkness **- It's a great website for letting out the thoughts and emotions that your harboring. Don't give up on it. Criminal Minds is a great show, it's one of the only ones that I actually try to keep up with. What you wrote was really helpful to me, thank you!

And now, the next part of the story...

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He'd been in and out of sleep for what felt like hours. Drake didnt know how long he'd been in the trunk of the car, bumping againth the rough floor on sore limbs as he tried to pull free. He could feel the swelling in his wrists, the raw skin where the metal had dug deeper into the skin.

Countless possibilities had swam through his mind on what could be happening and almost all of them made him cry. Endlessly he cursed himself for getting into the car, for trusting someone...

Always his thoughts returned to Josh. He'd just wanted to apologize, to try and get things back to the way they had been. More then anything he hoped that Josh had accepted that apology. That Josh wouldn't be angry with him for dissapearing, for being an idiot and getting into a strangers car.

He woke up again when he felt the car stop moving, the sudden quiet as the engine shut off alerting him that something was happening. He listened as a car door opened and shut, as the keys popped the lid to the trunk. The sudden light stung his eyes as he looked up at the man who had abducted his best to glare daggers at the man.

Paul pulled a small knife from his pocket and cut the zip tie from Drake's ankles, none to gently pulling him out of the trunk and holding him up as he gained his footing.

"Let's go." he said roughly as he pulled Drake toward the house.

The house was enormous, towering over them as the approached the stairs to an enclosed porch. Red bricks stacked upon each other formed the outer walls, the shingled roof gleaming in the twilight sun. It stood with two upper levels on a well maintianed, landscaped yard. Whoever lived here had alot of money...

They entered the porch and Drake took a moment to look at the barely used furniture neatly arranged on it. The white whicker seats with detailed pillows sitting undisturbed upon them. The spotless glass table with its intricate iron designs streaching to the marble flooring.

"Take off your shoes." Paul said as he held Drake steady.

He did as he was told, shuffleing his way out of them and feeling the cold floor against his stiff socks. The moment his shoes were off he wanted them back on. Old and worn as they were, they were his. They looked so dirty in comparrison to the rest of the porch.

Paul pulled him into the house, every bit more beautiful then the porch where he'd just been. Expensive furniture and art hung from the clean walls, on the wrought iron shelves that gleamed and appeared to grow from the walls. Drakes eyes caught sight of the thick metal rings atached from those walls, the neatly rolled lenghts of chains that lay beside them and he shuddered.

He was led through a glass door beside the staircase into a wide room. The walls were covered with painting that looked as if they'd been made by a very sad person. Nummorous shelves held thinck books and a jumble of spiral notebooks. A stone fireplace sat against the far wall near a large bay window. To the left of it was an oak desk with a computer and stacks of neatly assorted papers.

The man sitting at the desk was in his early thirties. His black hair was neatly combed back, chisled features and well tanned skin shone against the tailored suit he wore. Bright, piercing blue eyes watched every move Drake made as he was lead to stand on the intricately woven rug under the desk.

Drake tried to step back as the man walked toward him, but Paul held his arm tightly. He shuddered as the man grabbed his chin, lifting his head to look into his frightened eyes.

"Why are his clothes damp?" He asked. His voice was soothing, yet firm.

"Don't know." paul replied. "He ran out of the school like this."

Carefully, the man peeled the duct tape from Drake's lips.

"What do you want?' Drake asked weakly.

The man smiled. "My name is Brendon Montgomery, this is my home." he said, gesturing to the surroundings. "I'm a collector of many fine things, and you have shone to be one."

Drake felt the chill race down his spine. he didnt like this. "Why am I here, what do you want?" he asked again.

Brendon smiled. "Some of my most prized ossesions are my slaves." He said casually."Some I've bought at auctions, others, like yourself I've had brought here. I adore talent, and until now I didnt have a musicion. You're here to keep my estate in order, to entertain me."

Drake shook his head. "You can't do that to people."

"I can." Brendon laughed. "The rules of this house are strickly enforced, and, if you abaide to them then you shouldn't endure too many unpleasentries. I do not rape my slaves." he said, his voice cold. "However, if you fail to abide by the rules, then other members of my_ 'staff' _are free to punish you in any way they see fit. Understood?"

Drake shook his head. This couldn't be happening.

"Any time you are spoken to, you _will_ end your mannerd response with the word _Sir_. You_ will _keep quiet, and do your given word efficiently and without complaint. You _will_ behave with your fellow slaves, no fighting. You'll do exactly as comanded, and you _will _obey, otherwise you will be punished. Is that understood?"

"Yes Sir..." Drake said, feeling weak as Brendon's words sank in.

"Good." Brendon said before returning to his desk. "You'll spend tonight in isolation, tomorrow morning you'll meet the others. I look forward to having you here." He said with a smile before turning toward Paul.

"Take him to the isolation room, make sure its uncomfortable." Brendon said, dismissing them.

Drake swallowed his fear as he was lead to a small cabmit sized space beside the locked door to the basement. There was barly enough room for both him and Paul to stand inside.

"What did he mean?" Drake asked as he was pushed into the corner.

Paul grinned. "This room is here to break you down." he answered simply.

He unlocked the handcuffs, all the while keeping a tight hold of drake's wrists as he forced them into the shackes hanging from the ceiling. There was barely enough lengh to allow him to sit on his knees. All though the room was allreay dark a thick blindfold was tied over his teary eyes so that the he couldnt see the light under the door. A whimper escaped his lips and he was hit. Then a rubber ball gag was forced into his mouth, keeping his soft cries quiet.

Paul left the room without another word, leaving Drake in complete darkness and discomfort as he cried.

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By ten o'clock that night everyone was getting worried. Drake's phone had been going straight to voice mail for hours, and none of his friends had seen him. He hadnt called to check in or even come home to grab dry clothes. there wasn't a sign of him anywhere.

Audrey was pacing the living room, wondering wether or not to call the police. It was possible that he'd just wanted to go somewhere to be alone, after all, he'd been so depressed all week. Maybe he was just telling his friends not to tell them he was there? She tried to accept any of those possibilities as the worry gnawed at her.

Josh was sitting on his bed, the ping pong paddle balanced over his outstreached hand. No one he had caled had seen Drake, or even heard from him. It wasnt like Drake to just dissapear and leave people worrying like this. He could do some pretty stupid, even selfish things, but this...

He'd been so sure that Drake would be here, waiting in their room for a chance to talk. He'd been in here all week, and now he was gone. It felt so empty without him. The paddle tipped over his fingers, crashing onto the floor and pulling Josh from his thoughts. For long moments he looked at it as it lay there, alone and waiting for the moment it would once again be used for its intended purpose.

Without another thought Josh pushed himself outvof his bed and grabbed his jacket. He was determined to find drake and repair their brotherhood. He'd go to every friends house, to every place where they usually hung out. Drake had to be at one of them.

"Where are you going?" audrey asked as she watched Josh head for the door, the phone held tightly in her hands.

"I'm gonna look for Drake." he said absently.

He could see how worried she was, and he felt like it was all his fault. If he'd just talked to Drake when Mr. Roland had offered to let him then things could be back to normal now. Instead of laying discarded on the floor, the paddle could be in his hands, and he and Drake could be playing a needed game of ping pong. They could be hanging out. He could know that Drake was all right.

Josh headed out into the darkness, glad that no one could see the silent tears in his eyes.


	3. introductions

He'd been crying for so long that he didnt think he'd ever be able to cry again. His eyes felt hollow and broken. He was so tired of being left in the dark, of being restrained and afriad. Drake tugged at the shackles for the hundreth time since he'd been left in the small room, he knew that they wouldn't lossen, but he couldn't stop himself from trying. His arms had long since gone numb from being above his him and his shoulders were throbbing. His jaw hurt from the ball gag that had been stuffed inside of it.

He wasnt sure if he'd slept at all. He'd had his eyes closed all night to prevent the fabric from the blindfold from hurting them. He hadn't dreamed at all, though, he was sure that any dreams he had in this place wouldn't be welcome. All he could do was wait for the time when he'd be let out of this room.

His body tensed as he felt his stomch quiver. He felt panic rise as he realized that he had to go to the bathroom. He tried to call out to anyone that might hear him, nearly begging while he tried to get their attentio. They couldnt just leave him in there without knowing that he'd need to go. They couldnt expect him to hold it all night...

He continued to plead as the drool slipped around the gag, trailing over his chin. He called out over and over again, but noone came. After a few minutes passed he let his head fall against his chest in shame and disgust. Fresh tears found their way to his eyes, falling into the mix of drool and urine around his knees.

Drake was forced out of sleep by the sudden sound of the door being opened followed by a few quiet snickers. A fresh wave of shame passed over him as he felt eyes upon him, laughing at him. The blindfold was pulled away from his eyes, bringing in a burst of light that hurt his eyes.

"Look at the new guy." The closest of the two men snickered.

They both looked to be a little older then Drake with closely cut hair and cruel eyes. each was wearing dark blue jeans and a black tee-shirt. A thick metal collar tightly locked around their necks.

"Ain't nothing special." the secound replied, reatching into The room and unlocking the shackles.

The moment they were no longer holding him up, Drake fell forward, barly able to hold himself up. The feeling was returning to his arms, all pins and needles on the flesh. He fought back tears as the stinging numbness traveled over him and feeling returned.

The closer man grabbed his arm and pulled him roughly to his feet, ignoring his whimpers as the sudden movement tore at his stiff muscles. They didnt bother to remove the gag as they each held one of his arms and lead him back to the study near the stairs. He didnt try to fight them off, he didnt have the strength.

Brendon looked up from behind his desk and smiled. "Good morning." He said casually as he moved closer to Drake, closely inspecting him. He looked over him more thouroghly then he had the day before, feeling his arms and legs, touching his hair and face. He smiled as he unlocked the buckle on the gag and carefully pulled it out from Drake's mouth.

Even with it out, it was hard for Drake to close his mouth. His jaw ached from the constant force of holding the large ball, a pain that had nearly brought on a new wave of tears.

Brendom placed the gag in a tray on his desk, the drool still left on it glistening in the early morning light. He then pulled a collor similer to the ones the other men had on from a drawer in his desk, snapping it snuggly onto Drake's neck and locking it with a key he kept on a chain around his neck.

"There's a tracking device embeded within your collar, along with a shocking mecanism. Try to escape and you will recieve a modest dose of pain and an apropriate beating once found." He said as he turned back toward his desk. "Get him cleaned up and put him with the others."

"Yes sir." The two men said in unison as they dragged Drake toward the basement stairs.

They unlocked the sturdy door and flipped on the lights, leading him down a carefully crafted set on stone stairs. It was the nicest basement Drake had ever seen. It ran nearly the entire length of the house with polished wood flooring and black and white stripes painted evenly over the walls. The small, barred windows were set near the ceiling, allowing a brief view of the grass outside. Toward the middle of the room another set of bars stood like the enterance to a cage. Behind them were an assortment of mattresses, some empty, others with sleeping bodies hidden beneath nice blankets.

Drake could see eyes watching him from beneath those blankets, the sadest eyes he'd ever seen...

They turned him back toward the stairs where yet another door was. Within it was a large bathroom decorated in shades of golden yellow and sky blue. A large mirror hung near the double sink accompanied by cups with toothbrucses and hairbrushes. One of the men stayed outside while the other went in with Drake.

"Get cleaned up." he ordered, gesturing toward the shower.

Drake felt uncomforable with the man still in the room. Slowly, still trying to gain control over his legs he turned the water on, waiting for it to heat up. He didnt want to get undressed infront of this guy, so he stood beside the shower, waiting to see if the man would leave.

"I havent got all day" The man growled as he turned toward Drake.

"Do you have to be in here?" Drake asked meakly.

Without warning the man hit him across the face, light enough to hurt, but not to bruise. "Get in and make it quick." He snapped.

Drake didnt say another word as he took off his clothes and stepped into the shower, wrapping his arms around himself as the water washed away the filth from the previous day. He cleaned it all away, wishing that he could wash away everything that was happening with it.

"Times up." The man called from outside the shower.

Drake was handed a towel which he quickly wrapped around himself before stepping out of the shower. His clothes were gone. "My clothes..."

"They've been thrown out." The man said, pointing to a new set that had been left on the counter.

He turned toward the door, giving Drake a small bit of privacy as he dried off and got into his new clothes. A plain black tee-shirt that fit tightly across his body and a pair os loose black pants. He watched as Drake used the toilet, laughed at the way he blushed shyly. Drake had never been so uncomfortable.

After he was done the man grabbed his arm and pulled him out from the bathroom and toward the bars in the middle of the room, unlocking them long enouth to push Drake inside.

"We'll be back to get you in four hours." He said before they left, turning out the lights and heading up the stairs.

Drake looked at the now moving forms on the beds, three of them all sitting up as soon as they saw that the other men had gone. One of them got up and turned on a singular lightbulb the hung from the ceiling in the middle of their 'room'.

"What's your name?" The satanding boy asked Drake.

"Drake." He replied, looking at each of them.

"I'm Zane." Said the boy who'd turned on the lights. He was Drake's height, with shoulder length black hair and deep grey eyes.

"Damien." Said another boy with short blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Ash." Replied the last boy. His red hair shone brightly in the dim light, his eyes such a deep brown they almost looked black.

All of them were wearing clothes similer to his, and each had on a collar like the one he wore.

"Were you kidnapped too?" Damien asked, moving a little closer to Drake.

"Yesturday." Drake said, not wanting to think about it. "How long have you guys been here?"

They took a moment to think.

"About a year and a half, i think." Zane said.

"two years." Ash replied.

"a year..." Damian said, tears forming in his blue eyes. He was easily the youngest person here.

"They bring in someone new every six monthes. Alot of us don't make it that long..." Ash said.

"What about those other guys?" Drake asked, turning back towards the basement stairs.

"No idea." Zane said. "They arent like us, he gets them at auctions, all ready trained. That's why they dont get locked up like we do, they're all ready obediante when he gets them."

"I think they're taken in as little kids and trained to be perfectly docile, like dogs." Ash said. "they're slaves, like us, but they get more freedoms then we do."

"They're mean..." Damien said, hiding his face in his knees.

Drake nodded his head. "What happens now?" He asked, sitting down on an empty bed.

"We wait till about eleven thirty, then they feed us, shove pills down our throats and we start work." Ash said bitterly.

"Pills?" Drake asked, his stomach turning at the thought.

"Ritalin I think." Zane said. "Keeps us quiet, they put flouride in our water too. I dont know what the other pills are, but they mess with your head, over time you forget everything about ife before you were here...friends, family..."

Damien started crying, and drake felt like joining him. Everything they had told him drove deep. He didnt want to forget...

"Get some rest." Zane said softly, "the first day is always one of the worst."

The light was turned off again and they all lay curled up in their beds. Damien's soft cries echoed against the walls, expressing the hurt and despair they were all feeling. Drake fell into the deepest sleep he'd had in the last twenty-four hours, letting it take him into dreamless rest.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Audrey sat at the police station with Walter, filling out a missing persons report with tears in her eyes. They still hadn't heard from Drake, and noone had seen him. There was no response from his phone when they tried to call it... She didnt want to think about the things that could be happening to him.

She'd been questioned about Drake's mood before he dissapeared, if he might have just run away. No, he wouldnt... She knew better then that, knew that something terrible had happened. Now she had to fill out these damned papers, to wait untill anything was found. Until he was found...


	4. A day in the life

**A/N:** So, the regular-ish uploads feel really good, I can't write on weekends, but, I'm enjoying getting these done so fast. :) I spent alot of hours researching pills and flouride and their affects, so, what I'm using in this fic is the best that google could offer me, the closest to what i was wanting. Thats why im not using a name for the third kind they get at breakfest, I kinda had to make one up... I tried for realism, it just wasnt living up to my expectations...

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At eleven thirty they were all awakened by the sounds of footsteps coming down the basement stairs. The lights were flicked on, shining intrusivly into their caged room and pulling them out of their shallow sleep. Drake groaned as he turned away from the light.

"A few more minutes Josh..." he muttered.

Zane nugged Drake's shoulder, forcing him awake. "Better get up, or they'll beat you." he whispered as he and the other boys all stood and walked toward the door to their cell.

It didnt take Drake long to remember where he was, or what had happened. He pushed himself to his weary feet and went to stand with the other boys.

This time there were four men to order them about. All of them looked as mean as the next, all with the same hatred and disgust in their eyes. Richard, Benny, Dustin and Brent, Zane had told him. One rank higher then them, yet slaves all the same.

Brent stepped forward, unlocking the cage. "Get cleaned up." he ordered.

Drake followed the other boys as they walked single file into the bathroom together, the door shut and locked behind them. They took turns at the shower and toilet, sharing the double sink and mirror as they groomed themselves.

"Brendon has anyone who doesnt meet his standerds for appearence beaten." Ash said as he leaned against the wall.

Drake nodded, brushing out his hair and looking at the bags under his eyes. he looked terrible, he'd never looked this bad... "What are they gonna do with us?" he asked, curious, yet afraid of the answer.

"We'll get breakfest, then our pills, and then be put to work." Zane said as he stepped out of the shower. "We eat when they wake us up, and then again before they lock us up for the night."

"What kind of work?" Drake asked, a bit more at ease.

"Cleaning mostly, this place doesnt clean itself." Ash said sarcastically.

Damien looked up from his toothbrush, eyes distant. "Do you think if you clean something too much, that it just becomes dirty? Like it's so clean, that the added polish just sticks to it, dulling it out over time? Nothing clean is ever clean, like it might need the occasional dirt to make it actually look good when you clean it?"

"Don't know." Zane said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "If it does, then we'll clean this place untill its filthy."

Damien smiled briefly then went back to his appearence.

"Being here messes with you." Ash said, his eyes on Damien. "He's not the same as he used to be, looks older then he is."

"How old is he?" Drake asked. he didnt know if Damien was listening to them. His gaze was so distant and broken, like he were secretly somewhere else.

"He's fourteen." Ash said. "None of us belong here, but him for sure. He was thirteen when they brought him in, they beat and abused him untill he ended up like this. The rest of us were older..."

Drake nodded, his eyes downcast.

"We look out for him, like a little brother." Zane said as he stood beside Drake. "We look after each other. This place, this life, it tears you apart. Life before this, after this long you're lucky if you remember any of it the way it was. I think of my mom's face, but I dont know if that's what she really looked like. I can't remember for sure..." There were tears in his eyes.

"Hold onto your memories as best as you can." Ash warned him. "If you let them go, even for a day, they slip away."

"Keep quiet," Damien said absently. "Words arnt welcome here, questions are looked down upon."

The sharp knock at the door startled all of them. Brent swung the door open, grinning as he ushered them out of the bathroom and toward a fold out table and chairs against the wall. Their meal was simple; A couple slices of lightly toasted bread, a small portion of ham and an orange.

They sat in silence and ate the food as quickly as they could, the pains of hunger demanding that they eat. After they finished the food they took their plates to a small sink and washed them, leaving them to dry upon the rack. Drake mimicked everything he saw the other boys do, intent on staying out of trouble.

"Line up." Dustin barked.

Single filed, the boys stood and waited to be given their pills and water.

"Don't try to hide them under your tongue." Zane whispered, "They always know."

Drake nodded, waiting his turn. When his time came he took the pills and water, swallowing them with a pained expression. He hated this. He hated what was happening to him, what had been happening to his new friends.

After all of the pills had been swallowed, each or the boys was grabbed by the arm by one of the men. Each was to be taken to a different part of the house to do their work, seperated they were weaker, more afraid. That was how Brendon wanted them.

Richard gripped Drake's arm so tightly that he thought he might have bruises. He was jerked up the basement stairs toward the foyer where he'd entered the house yesturday; where he'd seen the chain attached to the wall. He was stood beside it as Richard locked a shackle around his ankle.

"It's got enough lenth for the entire foyer," He grunted before placeing two buckets and a small bin full of cleaning tools and a canteene of water before him. One of the buckets was empty, the outer full of soapy water that smelled of lemons. "Instructions are on a paper in the bin, bathroom is next to the isolation room." he said, pointing to it. "Everytime you use the bathroom, you clean it, understood?"

"Yes," Drake answered.

Richard struck him. "Yes what?"

Tears behind his eyes, Drake remembered what he was supposed to say. "Yes sir."

Richard smiled cruelly and pointed to the empty bucket, "You'll find out what that one's for soon enough." He laughed and walked toward on of hallways across the room, looking back. "Dont forget to clean the mess you left in the isolation room." he chuckled and left.

Drake felt the embarresment burning across his face.

He stood a moment, looking over the room: It was just as clean as it had been yeasterday. The instructions on the laminated list were simple, what product got used on each piece of furniture, shelving, and piece of art. The floor were to be scrubbed with the water in the first bucket, a small handheld vacum was provided for the rugs.

He started with the glass: whipping down the windows and table tops, the frames of the many beautiful painting and ornaments. while he cleaned the windows he gazed outside of them. Outside of this house of chains, the freedom that he thought he might never have again.

Half an hour passed when the pain started in his abdomen. nausea passed over him in waves as his vision faded in and out. he could feel what little food he had in his stomach twisting inside of his stomach as he realized what the secound bucket was for. Within secounds of the realization he was huddled over the bucket, vomiting everything he had within himself out. He cried as his insides burnt. He rocked back and forth, waiting for the waves of nausea to stop before carrying the bucket into the bathroom.

It wasnt very big, about the size of the one he'd had at home, but it was over decorated with spledid colors and decorations. It held a toilet, and a granite counter with a porcelin sink. The mirror was circular, its frame made up of what looked like braided silver.

He pulled on the rubber gloves that had been in his cleaning bin and emptied the bucket into the toilet. Within the cabnet under the sink were the cleaners for the bathroom. He set the bucket down and began scrubbing the toilet, then the sink.

Over the next two hours he polished and scrummed everything but the floors. he'd stopped to vomit three other times since the first, his body so empty and dehydrated that he was shaking. H spent all of his time thinking about home and trying not to cry. His families faces, their voices. He imagined walking through the house, every room and each portrait on the walls. He didnt want to forget any of it, of them. Most of all he thought of Josh, the last words he'd said to him echoed through his mind constantly. He hoped against everything that Josh had accepted his apology.

He was just finishing the foyer floor when the grandfather clock chimed three o'clock. He paused, counting the chimes as they echoed against the walls, looking over everything he'd done. He had never had to clean before, he hoped that it looked as good to everyone else as it did to him. He pushed himself to his feet and carried the cleaning water toward the isolation room. The thought of ever being left in there again sent chills down his spine. He closed his eyes, opened the door and fell to his aching knees.

He tried to keep the memories of being locked in there far away, but just seeing the shackles hanging from the ceiling made his arms hurt. he faught back the tears as he scrubbed the floor clean, polished the dried sweat from the cuffs that had held his wrist.

Richard came back for him around three thirty, looking over the room and shrugging. The anger flared within Drake as he watched Richard dismiss all of his hard work. His shackle was unlocked and neatly curled back into its pile by the wall. He was made to gather up is buckets and cleaning supplies, taking them into a small cleaning room inside the garrage. It was the emptyest room he'd seen so far. Bare concrete floors and walls, all of with had wooden shelves to hold the various cleaning chemicals and buckets.

He stood over the shappy, deep sink and cleaned out both buckets, drying them and placing them back on the shelves. He refiled the spray bottles of polish and cleaner from their larger jugs and placed them neatly within the small bins on the shelves.

He filled a new cleaning bucket and the freashly resotcked bin and followed Richard to another room down the main hallway. The Music room. He starred in wonder at the many different instruments around the room, the shelves holding thick books of music. He was again shackled to a chain on the wall and left alone. he waited until he could no longer hear Richards heavy footsteps and walked over toward a guitar shining in the afternoon sunlight. He listened for any sound of someone coming before tenderly running his fingers over the strings. A sad smile fell over his lips as he pulled himself away from the instrument to clean the room.

Two more hours passed before richard again led him to the supply room. He repeate the ritual from earlier, this time he was instructed to leave everything in its rightful place. He gathered up the dirtied cleaning rags and carried them to a room just down the hall from the basement stairs. The Laundrey room was almost as plain as the supply room, within it only the things needed for the work to be done. The other boys were all being lead in, all of the shackled to the walls by different chains and left to wash the rags and clothing of themselves, the other four, and their captors.

The exhaustion was plain to see on all of their faces as they waited for the other men to be out of hearing range.

"How are you holding up?" Zane asked, looking over at Drake.

He shook his head. "Everything hurts, and I've been throwing up all day."

"You'll do that for the first week." Ash said sympothetically. "Untill your body gets used to the pills."

Drake nodded, his stomach feeling heavy with dread.

They spent the next hour doing the Laudrey, the other boys showing Drake what was washed which way. They didnt talk much, all of them listening for footsteps. A little after seven thirty the laundrey was finished and they were whipping the sweat from their foreheads. The hunger was clawing at them, making them agitated.

The men came again to take them to the Kitchen. They were to wash all of the dishes and clean the counters and floors. They were not shackled this time, as the others stood and watched while they were there. Zane had referred to it as 'suicide watch', if any of them tried to hurt themselves with the knives in the kitchen, they would be beaten and put in isolaton.

Zane washed the dishes, Drake dried them and Damien put them away while Ash cleaned the counters and floors. They kept this up for around forty minutes, the last twenty would be spent scrubbing out the sink and cleaning the stove and oven.

Drake's enitire body throbbed with hunger, his mouth salivating as his eyes watched Zane scrub left over food from the dishes. He was shaking much worse now, it took most of his consentration to keep from dropping the dishes. He turned to look at the clock on the stove, thats when he dropped the teacup. He watched it fall in slowmotion, seeing it crack then shatter as it hit the floor. He heard the others gasp, the chuckles from the men as Brent stepped forward.

"Clean that up." He snarled at Ash as he grabbed Drake by the arm, twisting it behind him to keep him still.

He tried to pull away from him, all of his instancts telling him to fight back. Had he not been so weakened, he might have had a chance. Brent simply pinched his other hand around the back of Drake's neck, pressing on the preasure points until there were tears in his eyes.

He marched Drake out from the kitchen, around to the front of the staircase and up to the secound floor. All the while Drake tried to pull his arms free, to do anything. He begged and pleaded as he was stood before a heavy oak door, waiting as Brent knocked five times. It was code, the number of knocks told Brendon what he was being disturbed for.

He opened the door, looking down at the squirming drake with dissapointment as he gestured Brent into the room.

"What was broken?" he asked, turning his back to them to stare out of the floor-to-ceiling window.

"A tea cup." Brent scoffed.

Drake gave up trying to pull free, starring at Brendon with pleading eyes. "I'm sorry," he cried. "I, I didnt mean to, my arms were shaking and it slipped,"

Brendon spun around, glarring at him. "Did I ask you for an excuse?" His words were cold.

"No, No sir." Drake whimpered as he tried to back away, doing little more then shoveing himself into Brent.

"Punishment," he said cooly. "Is the only way to learn."

"Please..." Drake whispered as fear swept over him. he didnt want to go back in the room.

Brendon nodded towards the standing mirror in the corner of the room. Brent dragged Drake over toward it, pushing him against its cool, reflective surface before forcing his shirt over his head. Brendon walked around the mirror, taking Drake's wrists and crossing them from the other side, leaving his pressed against the mirror, starring into his own eyes.

"Reflection," Brendon said as he stepped into Drake's view, in his hands a long, nine tailed leather whip. "Looking back on your faults and learning from them, is the only way to better yourself."

Drake didnt look at himself as the first crack fell upon him, instead he squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth against the sudden pain. The secound hit was harder, but he refused to cry out.

"Open your eyes, now." Brendon demanded, his usual cool lost behind a deep anger.

Drake opened his eyes, staring himself in the face as the thrid strick fell. Watching as his pupils dialated with the pain, as the tears built up behind his glazing eyes. He was hit again and again, feeling the skin crack as the blood trickled down his back in thin streams. It wasnt until the seventh strike that he cried out, gasping in heavy breathes as he begged for it to stop.

Brendon nodded his head and Brent released his wrists, they watched as he fell to the floor, leaning against the cold glass of the miror as he cried.

"Put him back with the others." Brendon ordered.

Brent took him forcefully by the arm and lead him back to the basement, chuckling softly ever time Drake winced in pain. He was shoved into line with the others to recieve their nightly dose of pills before being left to eat a small dinner of cold cut sandwiches and an apple. Then they were shoved and locked within the bathroom.

Noone said a word as Zane cleaned and bandaged the lacerations on Drake's back, all of them showing sympathy as he cried as quietly as he could. Twenty minutes later they were locked into their cell, and the lights were shut off.

Once the others had left Zane turned on their dim lightbulb and turned toward Drake. "I'm sorry." he offered as he sat down.

Drake shook his head. "it wasnt your fault."

Without warning Damien sat on the bed next to Drake and hugged him, careful to avoid pressing against his wounds. "it'll be okay." he whispered.

"Thank you," Drake said, pushing back a new wave of tears. He was glad that they were there with him.

"Get some rest," Ash said before turning off the light. "Tomorrow's gonna be rough."

Drake layed curled up on his side, crying softly as he thought of his mom. He wanted her there with him, to hold him and tell him that things would be okay. Slowly sleep took him, though tonight it wouldn't be as blissfully empty as the last.

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**A/N:** This chapter was longer then I expected it to be, it's also the only one that will depict a full days routine. I wanted to show what the normal routine for the boys was like, to get the feel of it out there. More to come hopefully soon.


	5. Take the Pill

**Disclaimer: **Dont own Drake and Josh, the lyrics to "_Take the Pill_" Belong to Emilie Autumn.

**A/N: **Thanks for the support everyone, it means alot to me. This chapter is a bit like a montage, to move through the first week without taking me a month to write it. I dont want the story to drag on or move too slow, though I am truly enjoying writing it. This entire story was inspired mostly by Emilie Autumns book, and this song in particular. It sparked the idea.

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Audrey lay awake, staring through the numbers on the alarm clock, waiting for it to begin screeching at her to get out of bed. She wasn't sure she'd slept at all, how could she? Drake had been missing for nearly two full days now, and she felt like her world was falling apart.

On que the alarm began to beep, slowly at first, her mind falling into the shrill steady beat as she stared at the numbers. Then it became a little bit louder, beating faster and more violently. Her tears rose anew with that chaotic beat. Her wounded heart beating at its pace as she tried to push away the terrorfiying thoughts that were rising in her mind.

With a shaking hand she turned off the alarm clock and let her head fall into her hands as she cried. She didnt know what else to do, and it made her feel like a terrible mother. She'd gone to the police, sure, but they hadnt found him. They didnt even have a lead, still trying to tell her that he'd probably just run away. She knew better then that.

Josh had been walking down the main streets of town all morning, hanging _'missing person' _flyers everywhere they'd let him. He tried not to look at the picture of Drake on the flyer. He saw those happy, carefree eyes and felt his heart stop. For the entire week before Drake had gone missing he had been terrible to him. He wanted to apologize, for all of it.

He couldn't belive that Drake might have run away, that just wasnt like him. And he couldn't imagine who would have taken him, or why. The only thing he knew for sure was that he wanted his brother back, he wanted to apologize...

Josh hung the flyers until they were all gone. Staring down into his empty hands he felt tears in his eyes. _Please_, he begged silently. _Please let him be okay_...

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~_Take the pill that makes you weaker. Take the pill that makes you sick.  
>Take the pill or you'll be sorry. Take this bloody pill and make it quick<em>...~

They were woken up that morning as they had been the day before. The new day and all of its promise being forced into their routine. Drake streached away the sleep that was still clinging to him, feeling the cuts on his back scream in protest. He'd been up multiple times that night, vomiting into an old beat up bucket in the corner that he now carried in disgust to the bathroom.

He rinced and washed the bucket after they had all finished showering, then waited as Zane rebandaged his back. Only four of the hits had broken skin, a few of them deeply, the others more like paper cuts, but they all hurt.

They were marched toward the fold out table for the same breakfast they'd had the day before, eating like starved animals as the others watched. They washed their dishes, and lined up for their pills. Drake didnt want to take them again, he didnt want to be sick anymore. There were tears in his eyes aas Dustin held them out to him, as Benny cracked his knuckles threatningly.

He swallowed them, nearly choking on the sobs he was trying to keep locked within his throat.

He was assined the same room to clean as the day before. He knew that it was clean, that it couldn't have gotten dirt over night, but he cleaned it again anyway. Windows, shelves, tables and floors. Everytime he trew up he cried, feeling his body break under the weight of the pills and hunger. The dehydration again left him shaking.

He followed the routine from yesterday, doing everything as he had they day before, but this time, he didnt break a dish. He was more careful while drying them then he'd ever been with anything in his life. He didnt want to be hurt again, didnt want another dose of punishment cracked against his back.

He sat awake that night after they'd been locked up for the night, leaning over the old bucket as he vomited again and again. Zane sat beside him, rubbing his hand over his back, comforting him.

"How long until it stops?" Drake asked breathlessly.

"Within the first week or so." zane replied, his eyes heavy.

Drake closed his eyes as his stomach turned again, the last bits of dinner leaving his body. "I'm sorry..." he whispered, pulling his knees toward his chest and crying into them.

"It's okay," Zane said. "We know."

~_Take the pill that kills your sex drive. Take the pill that makes you cry.  
>Take the pill that burns your insides. Take the pill that makes you want to die<em>...~

Drake followed their routine without guidence that morning. His wounds were mostly healed, almost forgotten as he'd gotten used to them. He took his pills without hesitance, numbing himself to their taste and texture.

He looked around the clean foyer, trying to find a reason why he was cleaning it day after day. He rubbed his hands over the glass, leaving prints on it before wiping it clean. He tried to make even the smallest bit of mess on everything before polishing it again. It had to seem dirty for him to find purpose in the work. The things Damien had said were making sense to him now, about things being too clean, needing to be dirty.

He threw up less that day, and for that he was grateful. For the last few days his insides had felt like they were on fire, the pain of it so severre that he'd thought he'd pass out. At times it felt like his organs were being rearranged, pushed around roughly then kicked out of spite. His head pounded with a steady, consitant ache that made his eyes hurt.

He thought that he'd have so much more fight within him then he did, that he might stand up to his captors and get out of this. He'd planned out a hundred times how to fight them off and get away, do anything other then what he was made to... He was angry with himself for not doing anything, for not even trying. What could he do? He was always locked up or chained down, they were stonger then he was, and he was afraid...

The others had told him that the only way anyone ever got out was to die, but he didnt want to die, not like this. Not in this place. It was so tempting though, to just swallow a chemical or break a window and cut himself with the glass. To laugh at Brendon as his blood stained the rugs. Not to be controlled and used anymore.

He thought of home often, of his family. Desperatly holding on to the memories of them, as if he'd surly die without them. Somehow, someday, he would go home, he would be free. He would let his mom hug him for hours, until her warmth chased away the bad memories. He would make Josh see how sorry he was. He'd be a better brother, better son.

His favorite room to be locked within was the music room. as soon as he was sure he was alone he'd strum the strings of the lonly guitar, the feeling of something familier bringing him a sort of peace that he cherished. He would clean everything as fast as he could just so that he could hold it, playing the notes to his songs as queitly as possible.

~_You no longer rule your body. You no longer own those rights. You will wake up when we say so. You will sleep when we shut out the lights_...~

Every day the same routine wore him down, every night the same nightmares pulled at the sanity he was sure he was losing. He forced himself through the work he was given, the food that was presented. The same meals every morning and night. he didnt really taste the food anymore, the consistant flavors so constant upon his tastebuds that they no longer held any flavor to him. They were simply fuel to him now, a necesity that he devoured out of a pained need.

He'd asked the others if they ever got anything different and Richard had smacked him so hard his head had spun. He didnt question their meals now, just took them with spiteful gratitude.

That night they all layed awake, their stomachs crawling with fear as they waited for Damien to be brought back to their cell. He was suppossed to clean the upstairs entertainment room, and instead had broken down into tears. They all knew that he was being beaten, punished for that break in routine. They cried silenly as his screams echoed faintly through the house.

"Can't they give him a break..." Drake whispered as another cry fell upon them.

"They're monsters," Ash said through gritted teeth. "And Brendon is the fucking devil."

Zane sat on the cold floor beside damien's bed, his hands lightly touching the blanket as tears fell from his eyes. "he's just a kid, what do they expect?" Zane clenched the blanket within his hands, shaking his head. "Basterds..." he whispered.

It seemed like hours before Damion was dragged down the stairs, barly holding himself up as he was thrown back into the cell. There were countless tears in his wide eyes, blood and sweat clinging to the back of his shirt.

Ash was on his feet in moments, holding him up, trying to comfort him as he walked him over toward his bed.

"Get to sleep, all of you." Brent snapped. "Or you can all expect the same as he got."

Damien fell into a symphony of tears as Brent left the room, leaving them in darkness. Ash carefully pulled the ruined shirt from Damien's back, looking down upon the cuts and bruises with hate in his eyes.

"I'll kill them." It was a whispered promise.

Damien shook his head, fear for what would happen to Ash if he tried shining in his eyes. "It's okay." he lied through broken breathes. "I, I wanna sleep now...'

"We'll watch over you." Drake promised, sickened by what they had done to him.

Damien nodded, laying down carefully before crying himself to sleep.

Zane stayed on the floor beside the bed, holding Damien's hand even after he'd fallen asleep. Drake sat up in his bed, his eyes never leaving the sleeping boy as his labored breath echoed quietly against the walls. He didnt know how, but he wanted to keep that from ever happening to Damien again. From happening to all of them.

~_Take the pill that keeps you quiet. Take the pill that keeps you blind. Take the pill that wipes your memory. Take the pill that's fucking with your mind_...~

Drake was slowly loosing count of how long he'd been there, though he knew that first week must be close to over. He had all but stopped vomiting, the pills finally holding firlmly to him. He tried to remember his house, the layout and rooms, but all he saw where the parts of this house that he'd seen. The only thing he could remember fully were the faces of his family, and he held onto them tightly. As often as he could he thought of them, their voices. He couldn't loose them, wouldn't let them slip away.

In the tangle of tasks that he did everyday, he'd become more distracted with empty thoughts. It was hard to remember, to concentrate with the constant fear of punishment looming over him. Over and over he thought about Damien, the beating he'd gotten the other night had left him more distant then before. He was closing himself off, distancing himself from everything, from them. They were all worried, expecially Ash.

They were in the laundry room on drake's seventh day when Damien finally spoke again. it had been two days since he was beaten.

"They're preparring the entertainment room." he said quietly. He'd been cleaning it for the last three days.

The others nodded solumnly, leaving Drake confused. "What's that?"

Ash put the dirty clothes in the washer and turned toward Drake. "Why are you here?" he asked softly. "What made them take you?"

"Your talent." Zane said.

I'm a musicion," Drake said, remembering what it had been like to play his music. "I had a band, I play the guitar, I sing..."

"Every so often, Brendon has guests," Ash said bitterly. "After they all have dinner, we're chained up in the entertainment room, where we preform the tasks that caught Brendon's eyes. Depending on his mood, Brendon lets them spend time alone with us."

"If we preform badly, or do anything that upsets him, we're beaten in front of them while they laugh." Zane added.

"watch the starving artist suffer as he shares with you his passion..." Damien whispered. "take from him all that he once gave out of joy, and turn it into an empty motion."

Drake turned toward the dryer, taking out the clothes and folding them. "What do you guys do?" he asked. He'd wanted to ask them for days.

"I'm an artist," Zane said with a sad sile. "I paint mostly. All of the portraits in Brendon's office are mine."

"I was a fire preformer." Ash said with an old sence of pride. "Breathing it, juggleing it and spinning it... I'm only allowed LED balls now."

"I used to dance," Damien said sadly. "And write, but not anymore..." He sighed deeply, lost in another memory. "Never again do we live our dreams, we are slaves to them now. Trapped by their alluring nature and bound by their admirers."

Drake could see the sadness in all of them. Being locked up as they were, the tiring routine they lived by. Damien was right... The passions that the'd had were gone. Taken away except for when they were to be put on display. Would music be like that for him?

They were given their nightly dose of pills and put to bed early that night. Their routine would be broken tomorrow, as brendon wanted them all rested for the nights entertainment. Richard gave them an overly rehearsed speech on behavior before leaving them in the darkness, sneering at them as he left.

Drake couldn't sleep that night. He was nervous, even afraid of the upcoming day. Would he mess up and be punished? Would he have to see one of his friends hurt for any human mistake they might make? Damien was still a mess from the other night, and Drake was worried for him, they all were.

"Get some sleep." Ash said comfortingly. "You'll do fine."

"Thanks..." Drake said quietly, hoping that he was right.

~_We've filled your prescription, you'll never run out again. We've filled your prescription, the drugs are your only friend...~_


	6. Showtime

**Disclaimer: **Blackbird is the property of the beatles. I really just love the song, and Drake Bell sings it beautifully.

**A/N:** I am loving how all of these chapters are turning out longer then I expect. This fic is just comeing out rally well I think. I'm really happy with it overall.

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Drake didnt wake up to the sounds of footsteps that morning, but to the quiet chirping of the birds, whose morning song driffted in through the basement windows. He layed in his bed, eyes closed and just listened. He couldn't remember the last time he'd actually heard the normal sounds of the morning.

everyone else was still asleep, enjoying this rare moment, this chance to fully rest. He tried to go back to sleep, but the moment had gone, and he was awake. As quietly as he could, he got out of bed and walked toward the window in their cell. It was so small, but it was amazing to him. That view of the outside world, it was almost better then television. He placed his hands on the smooth, cold bars and watched the birds hop about the grass and flowers.

"I wanna be a bird." Damien said quietly, starling Drake.

"Did I wake you up?" Drake asked, feeling bad.

"No," Damien said, standing next to Drake. "I'm just used to being up by now."

Drake nodded, turning back toward the window.

"What do you think it's like, to be a bird?" Damien asked.

"Don't know." Drake said. "Free...I guess."

"To fly," Damien breathed the word lightly. "Have you ever flown?"

"In an airplane." Drake said, remembering hollywood.

"I built wings when I was ten, then I jumped on the trampoline for hours. I didnt get it right though."

"You will," Drake said, causing Damien to smile.

"Thanks." He said before walking back to his bed. "You're a good person, Drake."

Drake smiled. It filled him with a sense of relief to hear spomeone say that. "You too."

It was twelve thirty before the others woke up, groogy but rested. They sat on their beds, waiting to be let out to use the bathroom, and talked about their families.

Ash had lived with his dad and stepmother in San Francisco. He had an older brother, and two younger stepsisters. He could remember their names, and what they had looked like two years ago, when he had seen them last. He'd been on his way to do fire with his girlfriend Shiloh when he'd been grabbed.

Zane had lived with his mom in Stockton. He didnt see her much, because she worked two full time jobs, but when she was home they spent all of their time together. She had the same black hair and grey eyes that he did, that he could remember. And her smile, she always smiled, even when she was sad.

Damien lived with his parents and grandfather in Lancaster. He had a little sister, Abigale, who'd been six when he was taken. She'd had the same sunshine blonde hair and sky blue eyes he had. His favorite perosn in the whole world...

Drake told them all about his mom and Walter, Josh and Megan. He cried when he talked about Josh, about the huge dissagrement they'd been having before he was taken. About the apology he might never know if josh had accepted.

"He did." Damien said confidently.

Drake could only nod, hoping that he was right.

They werent let out until nearly two o'clock. They nearly ran into the bathroom, taking impatient turns as they cleaned up and used the toilet. Different sets of clothes had been layed out for each of them in preparartion for the coming night.

For Ash it was dark leather pants with bright orange and red linging. A tight bronze colored tanktop with mesh sleeves that made his red hair look fierce as he carefully stiled it upwards.

Zane was given a fitted turquoise shirt with loose violet sleeves that made his grey eyes shine. Tight navy blue pants embeded with orange sequins along the seems and black fingerless gloves. He pulled his shoulder length black hair into a tight ponytal, Tangling a small blue feather into the ponytail.

Damien had been given a brilient green vest to wear over a dark blue mesh shirt, decorated with swirling lines in varoius shades of green. His pants were made up of a dulled silver fabric decorated in white swirls.

Drake's pants were blue jeans with tiny black music notes sown around the seems. His shirt a tight fitting deep violet with sliver notes on the hems and mesh sleeves. he hadnt realized how pale he'd become until he saw himself in those deep purples, how thin he was already getting.

They were all given their own stick of eyeliner, with they applied carefully. They didnt really like the eyeliner, but they were comanded to wear it. None of them were gizen shoes. They hadnt worn them since being brought here.

They were marched out of the bathroom where they'd spent nearly two hours getting ready and given their pills, then lunch. Drake stared at the food, feeling his mouth water. Grilled cheese! Just the thought of warm food was enough to make him cry. With their sandwiches they were each given a pickle, a small bowl of chicken noodle soup and a bread roll. They tried to eat the meal slowly, to enjoy it thouroghly.

After they'd eaten lunch and cleaned their dishes they were lockied back in their cell untill theyd be needed upstairs. With full bellies the boys sat on their beds, leaning against the cold walls in peace. They wanted to enjoy this time, because they knew that it would be over soon.

They talked about anything and everything as they sat there waiting. The schools they'd gone to, the dreams they still had despite the lives they'd been forced into. Smiling, even laughing at times, they were like a group of friends meeting up after school rather then a group of prisoners.

At six o'clock the others came for them. They were all dressed in black leather pants with white button down tank tops and mesh sleeves. They grabbed the boys roughly, drabbing them up the basement stairs, and then the main stairs.

The entertainment room was every bit as big as the basement, taking up nearly the entire upstairs. Large windows let in the twilight sun as the sheer burgandy curtains fluttered in the light breeze. There were sixt small tables neatly spaced apart in the middle of the room. All of them a shiny black with two cutioned chairs set at each. Along the walls were five white Curved Tufted Chaise Lounge chairs, each with its own wooden coffee table beside it.

The walls were covered in a gold wallpaper with silver vines crawing up toward the ceiling, small pink flowers reasting lazily against their silver leaves. Silver candelobras with bright pink candles hung upon them, filling the room with a plesent scent as the flames danced on their wicks.

In two of the corners rested small, wrought iron cages just big enough to put a boy in, should he misbehave. The walls next them held claw shaped hooks that held the whips and ropes that would be used to disapline him.

In another corner stood and easle and a marble counter covered with bottle of paint and empty canvases. Dustin took Zane to that corner of the room, shackling his anckle to the chain on the wall.

Ash was taken to an empty space across the room. There was a woven rug upon the black marble floor, decorated in all of the colors of a warm, burning fire. There he was handed two LED poi balls attached to a length of black cord. He held them like cherished possesions, wriggleing his fingers into the loops before swinging them gently at his sides.

Damien was put in the middle of the room, in front of a small wood stage. There was space enough for him to move around, to dance or walk up to any of the tables. he hadnt danced in a long time, he was afraid to now. To the side of the stage, still within his reach were small platters of varoius foods and drinks, which he would serve at their request.

Drake was forced up the stairs of the small stage, it was built alot like his bed at home. Not too far from the floor, just a nicly portined wooden surface, on it a microphone and the guitar that he'd been strumming for the last week. He looked at it longingly as his anckle was attached to the length of chain from the wall.

Brent and the others moved toward the large door, looking at all of them distastfully. "You guys know the drill. Do what you were brought here for, no complaints and no problems. If a gueat wants something, do it." he threatened.

The boys all nodded their heads, waiting for the others to leave to go and brong brendon and his friends in.

Drake could feel the sweat on his back. He was nervous, more so then he'd ever been with a guitar in his hands. He knew how to play, but he didnt know what would get him hurt in this place.

"Relax." Zane said as he placed his paints acording to color on the counter. "You'll be okay."

"We're here for you." Damien said, looking up at him. "Just pretend your a bird. flying over them, away from them. Look through them and not at them, then they wont see you."

Drake nodded his head, pulling the guitar strapp over his shoulder and tuning it.

Minutes later Brendon walked in with his guests, six men, most of them his age and two older. The men starred at the boys as they made their way to wherever they preferred to sit. The older men went to the lounge chairs, resting themsevles on them adn waiting for the others to get seated at the tables.

"That ones new." One of them mused, pointing at Drake.

Brandon smiled, walking over to drake, presenting him. "This is Drake, he's been here a week."

"Fresh." one of the men at the tables laughed.

Drake tried not to look at them as they all stared st him, sizing him up with dark eyes and twisted smiles. He could feel his fingers trembling as his heart sped up.

"You havent had a musicion in a while." The one sitting closest said. "Last one killed himself, didnt he?"

"So many do." Another laughed.

"Gentlemen." Brendon smiled. "Some kids just can't handle life."

The men all agreed, taking drinks from their glasses and they chatted amounst themselves. Brendon walked toward the large doors, opening them as the other four boys came in, all carrying tall, brightly colored hookahs. One was sat at each table where the men were sitting. The men didnt thank the boys for their smokes, just demanded that they be lit.

All at once the smoke started falling from each of their lips as they breathed in and out. Dustin and benny went and closed the large windows while Brent and Richard lit the gaslamps on each of the tables, giving the room a haunting glow. The billows of smoke slowly rose towards the ceiling, thick bursts fading into whispy streams.

Drake turned his head at the sight of the LED balls being turned on, glowing brightly as they faded in and out of their colors, red, orange then yellow. He watched as Ash begame to swing them, slowly at first, then a bit faster, their lights trailing behind them in beautiful patterns as he wove them through the air. The smoke from the men only adding to the effect.

Brendon walked up the stage, standing next to drake. "Play something for our guests, Drake." He said with mock politness.

"What do you want me to play, sir?" Drake asked.

"Anything you can with a guitar and your voice, make its cheery, and well mannored." He smiled at his guests. "Maybe even something sad here and there. Just play."

"Yes sir." Drake said, waiting for Brendon to rejoin his guests before struming the notes to one of his newer songs, Shades of grey. He didnt know what these people wanted to hear, or what they liked.

It had been the first thing to pop into his head. He started quiety, still trying to shake off the anxiety. It became easier when he noticed that they were still talking to one another, not giving him their full attention. Once he became more relaxed he just played whatever came to mind, falling into that old rythym, that disstant happiness he'd thought he'd forget. He closed his eyes, remembering, finally breathing out.

Before he knew it an hour had passed, he was lightheaded from the condenced smoke in the room and thirsty. As if reading him, Brendon ordered Damien to bring him a glass of water. Drake thanked him, drinking the entire glass happly.

"You're doing it," Damien said with a smile. "You're flying."

"Thanks." Drake said, handing him back the glass.

He took a moment to breath, seeing that the others were doing the same. Ash was kneeling down on the rug, the sweat dripping from his hair as he smiled at Drake. Zane was setting one painting aside before begining on another. It was of a boy sitting under the moon, brocken chains scattered around him. It was amazing, that he'd created something so detailed and grand in such a short time. One of the men was already haggling with Brendon to buy it once the night was over.

He looked down at Damien, who was serving another man a plate of fruit and cheese before strumming the notes to one of his favorite songs. _This ones for you_. he thought as he began to sing.

"_Blackbird singing in the dead of night Take these broken wings and learn to fly All your life You were only waiting for this moment to arise..._

_Blackbird singing in the dead of night Take these sunken eyes and learn to see All your life You were only waiting for this moment to be free..."_

Damien smiled up at him, tears shining in his blue eyes. he nodded his head, going on to fetch the drink a man had asked for.

"Blackbird fly, blackbird fly Into the light of the dark black night..."

When he'd finished one of the men stood and clapped, eyeing him carefully. "This one is much better then your last, Brendon." The man said, stepping forward.

"Thank you." Brendon smiled, gesturing toward Brent to Bring Drake down.

Brent undid the shackle around his ankle and marched him toward the table the man was sitting at.

"Sit." The man said, and Drake did. "You're very talented." The man said, smiling.

"Thank you, sir." Drake said, knotting his fingers under the table.

The man took another breath of the hookah, then passed it to Drake.

he shook his head. "I don't smoke."

The man reached around the table, slapping him. "When you're offered something, you accept it." he spit.

Drake took the hose, breathing it in. It was smooth, and the nicotine went straight to his head. He handed it back, not looking at the man. "thank you," he said quietly.

The man chuckled. "How tame is this one?" he asked Brendon.

Drake could feel his hands shaking, he didnt like this man.

"Don't know yet." brendon answered. "He does well around the house, but I've only had him a week."

"I see." the man smiled, looking over Drake. "Handcuffs?"

"Of course." Brendon smiled, instructing Dustin to bring him a pair.

Drake watched them, wide eyed and trembling as his hands were cuffed behind his back. The man then pulled him to his feet, and walked him over to one of the couches along the wall. He sat next to Drake, placing a hand just above his knee. "You're a talented young man." he whispered, moving his hand farther up.

"Please dont..." Drake whispered, tears in his eyes.

"Shut up." The man growled, wrapping an arm around him and pressing his hand against his mouth. Drake felt the tears fall as the man used his free hand to touch him, exploring his body as if were his own.

"Don't cry." The man cooed. "We've only just met."

Drake pulled at the handcuffs, wanting them off. He begged in vain against the man's hand as his other hand moved inbetween his thighs. _Please, please, please, no_...

The man laughed, licking the tears off of Drake's cheak. "very talented." he whispered again, moving his hand away from drake's mouth to kiss it. He felt the man's tongue slide into his mouth, felt himself fighting the urge to bite it off. Slowly, the man pulled away, his twisted smile gleaming in the candlelight. He stood up, forcing Drake to lay down and climbed ontop of him, pressing his hand against his mouth before he could protest. Drake cried as the man rubbed his body against his, as he touched him. He tried to pull his hands free, to scream for help.

Another man was laughing, and another shook his head, telling Brendon that Drake was still too wild.

He could see the hurt expression on Ash's face, the anger burning behind his eyes. It was taking everything he had not to do something. Damien was shaking, tears falling from his eyes as he watched in horror. Drake didnt want them to see him like this, he didnt want this.

The man got off of Drake, undoing his pants and letting them fall to the floor. Drake looked at him, horrified as the man's erection presented itself. He grabbed Drake by the hair, forcing him to his knees on the floor. "Do it right." he sneered.

"Please..." Drake begged as he was hit again before the man forced him forward.

He numbed himself to all of it, the smoke in the room that was still making his head dizzy, the voices of the men talking as if nothing were happening. He closed his eyes and focused on every tear that fell, counting them. Anything to take him away from what was happening.

The only thing that brought him back to the present was the sound of glass breaking. Pulling away from the man, Drake opened his eyes, watching as Damien stared at him, shaking and in tears.

"Leave him alone..." he said, his voice quiet but strong. "Please sir,"

Within secounds of the outburst Brent and Richard had grabbed onto damien, forcing him toward one of the cages. They held him against the walls as Brendon cracked the whip against the floor.

"Disobedience will not be tolerated." He said, clearly embarrased.

The men gathered around to watch the punishment with eager eyes, all except the man still holding tightly to drake's hair, and another who was doing the same to Zane.

After the third hit Ash had lost his calm. "Basterds!" he shouted, pulling against the chains. "He's just a kid!"

Dustin and Benny went to Ash, taking him roughly by the arms as they dragged him over toward Damien, holding him against the wall beside him. Ash reached his hand over, taking Damien's and holding it tightly. He wouldn't let Damien be alone this time. They were beaten together, in front of the depraved spectators as the other two continued what they were doing with Drake and Zane.

When the beatings finished one of the men began clapping, a wide smile on his face. "Well done, Brendon!" He laughed. "What a show!"

Another man looked at him, puzzled.

"It was obviously staged!" The man exclaimed. "Brendon's slaves ever misbehave so woldly."

Brendon smiled, letting go of his anger at the boys' outburst. "Anything for you men." he said smiling.

They were left chained and caged while three of the men had their way with Damien, while he refused to cry out, the tears still fell. He was a favorite of Brendon'd visitors, their secret toy.

The boys were lead out of the room after that, dragged numbly back to their bathroom where they washed away everything that had happened. Drake brushed his teeth until his gums bled, the tears still falling as he tried not to look at himself. He knew why the others hadnt warmed him about the men and what they might do; if he'd been worried about that, then he wouldnt have been able to concentrate on his preformance, he would have been beaten...

He helped Zane clean and bandage Ash and Damien's wounds, they were deep and would definatly scar. They had alot of scars, old pains with their own stories eched into their flesh.

They were put to bed without dinner that night. Ash sat against the wall, it hurt, but the coldness of it soothed his wounds. His eyes were hard, holding back tears that he refused to shed in front of the others. He had to be strong for them, to keep them going.

Damien curled up in his bed, his eyes empty as the tears fell silently. He turned toward Drake, his voice broken. "Can you sing that song again," He asked meakly. "The one about the bird?"

Drake walked over to Damien's bed, sitting on the floor beside it and taking his hand. "Yeah..." He said, and he sang it until Damien fell asleep.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

**A/N:** This chapter was alot longer then it was supposed to be, I hadnt meant for the horrible things that happened to happen, but, the words just kept coming. I realize 'Shades of Grey' is a newer song, but, I was listening to it when writing that part of the story, so, I threw it in.


	7. remembrance

**A/N:** This chapter was written to the song Mad World, because, the more I wrote, the more I thought about the song. Thank you to everyone reading this who has left me reviews, I look forward to them when i get home from work, and finding even one in my inbox just makes my day. Thanks everyone!

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It'd been a whole week since Drake had dissapeared. The eigth day of their personal Hell as they waited for the police to come up with anything. There'd been no ransom demands, no phone calls of any kind. They were falling, into darkness, into despair.

Josh had been going to school for the last five days, every day he hated it more then the last. People stared and whispered, all of them wanting answers and all of them knowing better then to ask. He'd all ready yelled at a girl who'd questioned him about Drake, he'd been so upset he'd made her cry. He didnt have any answers to give them.

He knew he needed to keep going to school, that if he didnt keep some kind of routine to distract himself that he would break completly. Chemistry was the worst class for him now, because everytime he was there he remembered that look in Drake's eyes as he'd apologized, the last time he'd seen his brother... If he'd just gone after him when Mr. Roland had given him the chance then Drake would still be with them. Things would be okay...

He went to the bathroom everyday during Chemistry and cried. Five minutes of tears each day, when it was the only thing he wanted to do at all. He knew the odds of finding a kidnapped person after the first few days weren't good, so, what were the chances after a week?

Meghan spent all of her time at home locked inside of her room. She sat at her computer with sore eyes as she hacked into every security camera in town, looking for any sign of Drake. Whoever had taken him had to have one mistake, had to be on one of these cameras. She'd seen Drake walking away from the view of the camera outside of the school, but after that...

She hadnt talked to josh since after drake had dissapeared. She knew he was upset, that he blamed himself, and, so did she. She hated him for how he'd made Drake feel, That hurtful emptiness he'd been falling into just before he dissapeared.

Her tears could have filled an aquarium, filled the emptiness she harbored within herself with anything. She'd never been without her big brother, never thought she would. But he was gone now, and noone could find him. She was lost and couldn't find a way out. She promised herself that she'd find something, anything and it would help to bring him back. She knew how to outsmart people, she knew how to get what she wanted. All that knowledge that had once been so easy for her was hard now, taunting her in her search for an answer.

She pushed herself away from the computer, falling onto her bed she craddled her oldest teddy bear, one that drake had gotten for her when she was three. She held it close as she cried.

Walter looked at Audrey from across the room, his heart breaking as he watched her red eyes stare at the screen of her laptop. He knew that she was hurting, he was hurting too. But watching her fall into this desperate search for hope hurt the most. He didnt know what she'd thoguht she would find on the internet, but he was sure the answer wasnt there.

He wanted drake back as much as any of them, missed him just as badly. He'd cried on his way to work almost every day, searching the sidewalks for any sign of teir lost boy, swearing that he'd seen him just to jump out of the car and be looking at someone else.

"Audrey..." He said softly as he walked toward her.

"It's been a week." She mumbled, eyes never leaving the computer.

"I know." he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. She was reading a page of missing boys from California.

"They don't find most of them." She said, tears falling. he hated to see her cry so much.

"They'll find Drake." he promised. He had to believe it, had to hope in it.

"Look at all of them." She said, scrolling down the page.

"I think you should stop reading these." he said honestly.

She turned toward him, angry. "Why?"

"they arnt helping." he finally said it. "You're upset enough without letting everything the internet says wear you down."

"And if it had been Josh?" She asked hurtfully. "If Josh were missing would you still think it were a waste of time?"

That hurt him. He cared about both of the boys, faught the station to keep posting Drake's picture in the hopes that someone would find him. "If it had been Josh, I'd be telling you the same thing I am now. I'd be just as sad, they're both my sons." he said a bit deffensivly.

"I'm sorry..." She said, breaking into stronger tears.

Walter pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as she cried into his shirt, as his tears fell onto her shoulder.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

When Drake woke up that morning he was sore all over. He'd fallen asleep beside Damien's bed, his hand still held tightly by his sleeping friend. memories of the night before had haunted him all night, he could still feel tears on his cheeks. He couldn't remember the last time he'd cried in his sleep, if he ever had...

Carefully, he pulled his hand free and walked toward his bed, sitting on it with his head in his hands. He didnt know how they'd lived this way so long, how they kept living.

"You okay?" Ash's voice sailed over toward him.

"yeah..." Drake lied, looking up to see Ash still sitting against the wall, the way he'd been last night.

"It gets easier." Ash said. "After a while you numb yourself to it."

"It happens everytime?" Drae asked, feeling his heart drop.

"Yeah..." Ash spit. "Damien gets the worst of it, they like him. Thanks you, for staying with him last night."

Drake nodded his head. "It was all I could do."

"It means alot to him." Ash said, voice cracked. he wanted to cry, to let even just a fraction of this pain escape. "they've broken him down so much, it's a wonder he keeps fighting to live."

"I understand..." Drake replied softly.

Their conversation was broken by the sound of footsteps comeing down the stairs. Zane and Damien woke with them, turing toward the bars to see not only the other four, but Brendon too. They watched with masked fear as they all stood before them.

"Last nights actions will not be repeated." brendon said sternly. "I've never been so embarrased."

the boys didnt reply.

"However, since the men thought it all a preformance on thier behalf, I was able to get the investments I needed, with a little extra on the side. You boys will be working outside today."

Drake couldnt believe it. They were going to be aloud outside! He hadnt been aloud outside since he'd been brought here.

With that said, Brendon left them, going back upstairs to his welcoming home.

The boys were pulled out from their cell, taken to the bathroom where they quickly cleaned up and got into their regular everyday clothes. They felt the sun to rarely, beathed in that fresh air and felt earth under their feet.

"What do we do out there?" Drake asked.

"Trim the grass, clean the stones..." Zane said.

"It's got to be cut down before it can grow stronger." Damien said, wincing as he moved.

They were given their normal breakfest and their pills before being led upstairs, towards the back door. A think iron cuff was attached to each of their ankles, through the loops in each a single, heavy chain was pulled though. They were attached to each other and given a pair of gardening gloves before the door was opened.

The backyard was massive, at least three achres of neatly landscaped space lay before them. They were marched across the yard, further ad further away from the house toward a small pond with one giant willow tree along its sandy shore. The closer they got, the more Drake understppd the words _polish the stones_.

Hidden behand the tree's cutain of branches, away from the water, were headstones. There was a graveyard on the property. Drake counted the stones as they got closer, there were twelve. Twelve bodies laying in unmarked graves, weeping forever in solitude.

Their chain was attached to the base of the tree before they were left there to do their work. They waited until the others dissapeared into the house before they all relaxed, looking toward the headstones with a sadness that drake hadnt seen.

"Who are they?" he asked, all ready knowing the answer.

"Slaves like us." Zane said, touching one of the stones lightly.

They weren't the fancy poliched stones Drake had seen in a regular cemetary, more like the ones in cheesy horror movies. Roughly shaped concrete slabs, all of them blank. There were no names to identify who lay there beneath the ground, no years written to measure their lives.

"Most of them killed themselves, others were beaten until they couldnt hold on anymore." Ash said. "We clean up around themselves, Brendon's way of reminding us that we dont have to be allowed to live." His voice was bitter.

"Last night, when they said that the last musicion killed himself..." Drake said softly.

"He did." Ash replied. "before Damien got here, Evan was their favorite. Some of us numb ourselves to the rape and abuse, but, but he couldn't. He didnt eat, barly slept. One day he just snapped, he broke a window and cut into every vein he could."

Drake looked to the blank stones, feeling only a fraction of the pain that had lead them to this. twelve boys, all dead from the life they'd been forced to endure. He closed his eyes, bowing his head to them as he said a silent prayer.

"Do the others get burried here too?" he asked absently.

""Never seen one of them die." Ash replied. "Once Brendon starts having problems with them, he sells them off."

They worked in silence for the first hour, taking in the air and freedom of being out of the house, feeling the weight of their burdons on thier minds. How many of them would end up there? Dead before their time.

When they finished cleaning up around the srones Damien picked what few dandilions were in the yard around them, laying them carefully around the headstones. He'd only met one of the boys burried there, but he felt the pain they had all carried. He gave them all a prayer as he layed the flowers out, hopng that they had found some peace in death. A bit of freedom at the end of their caged lives.

They sat around the old tree, letting the warm breeze wash over them. They watched with empty eyes as the birds flew across the sky, gliding on the winds that carried on them their hopes. they stayed there like that until the others came to retreive them, leading them away from that area of peace and absent fear. They washed up, and sat in their cell. Their regular work would resume tomorrow.

They passed the hours until dinner with idle talk. About school, about anything that wasnt their current lives. They smiled with hollow happiness, for, as good as the memories were, they were a painful reminder of life now.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

It was late in the evening when Audrey noticed something on the screen of her laptop. Sixteen of the boys missing, including Drake, had all gone missing exactly six monthes apart. She passed it off as a coincidence, but, she couldnt stay away from it. She didnt know how she knew, and, maybe it was just desperation, but, she felt that it was connected. Maybe it had all been the same person...

She didnt care if it was nothing, to her it was something. She looked up the number for the FBI, waiting through every ring of the telephone.

"Jennifer Jareau of the Behavior annalisis unit." A plesent sounding woman andswered.

"Hello, my name is Audrey parker, my son went missing a week ago." She stumbled over the words.

"Have you contacted your local police?" Jennifer asked.

"i have." Audrey said, "They havent found anything, but, I think i have."

Jennifer could hear the desperation in the woman's voice.

"I've been looking at a missing person's page for California," Audrey started. "Fifteen other boys have dissapeared just like Drake, all of them six monthes apart. I know it might sound crazy and desperate, but, I think they're connected. That the same people have been doing this."

Jennifer logged into her computer, looking at the same page that Audrey was. There were twenty-five missing boys in california, sixteen of them, all roughly the same age had dissapeared six monthes apart.

"I'll talk it over with my team," She promised. "If we take the case, I'll call you."

"thank you," Audrey said, tears in her eyes.

Audrey gave her information to the woman on the phone, her hands shaking. Even if it was nothing, someone was looking into it. Someone would be trying to find her little boy.


	8. Broken

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Drake and Josh, or Criminal Minds, just borrowing the characters for non-profit fun.

**A/N**: I'm trying to find a way to spell check my stuff before posting it, because i always miss things when i pre-read them, if anyone knows of a good way to do it, please let me know. (Computer doesnt have spell check) I'm going to start bringing in the Criminal minds characters, i they're badly written, I apologize. It's been a long time since I've written them... Bare with me.

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They were woken up at ten a.m., as they were every day. Though their confinments were much nicer then those of the boys downstairs, it was still a cell. The same black and white wallpaper rested against their walls, and same iron bars parted the sunlight in their windows.

They had the same beds, got the same empty sleep. Their bathroom was accesable, just through a door in the wall. They took their time, enjoying the privacy as they got ready one by one. When they looked in the mirror, they saw faces that they had always known, never thinking of the ones they'd forgotten. They inspected the collars that they too wore, always searching for a flaw, but never finding it.

Brendon took them to the kitchen every morning, where they made his and their breakfasts. They ate the same as he did, nicer, stronger meals without the pills that the other boys were given. They were given athority over the others, allowed outside more often to keep the yard looking nice. Theirs was an easy life, rarly ever beaten, and almost never messed with by the men who visited. They seemingly had it all...

They hated the boys downstairs for the things they had that they themselves never would. Memories of family and a life outside of imprisonment. Those boys knew what life once was, they held onto it. They had passion, and a deeper range of feelings then they ever would. They'd known the love of their parents, could still feel it.

The rest of them had known this way of life for as long as they could remember, being taken when they were very young and raised to live this way. For them, this was living, this was a good life.

They hated those boys, more then they could hate their lives as they were. Their deepest pleasure came in punishing them, making them hurt like they did. Making them forget about the things they'd once had, watching them suffer. It was their only happiness, the only thing that was theirs and theirs alone.

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Meghan's eyes were blurring from hours of looking at the computer when she finally stumbled upon something. It wasn't much, and the quality was terrible, but she knew it was Drake. She'd recognize him anywhere.

The video was from a security camera across the street from some older unused warehouse buildings, the image she was watching far back in the corner. She'd almost missed it completly. She could see a man stepping out from the driver's side of the car, opening the passenger side and pulling out an unconcious boy. Her brother, Drake.

She felt her knuckles glow white as she clenched her fists, watching as Drake's limp body was moved into the trunk of the car, as the man moved around his body, tieing him up, she assumed. And then he was back in the driver's seat, driving off of the screen and away from watching eyes.

She wasted no time linking the video to a file under an anonomous name that couldnt be traced back to her and sending it to the police. She couldnt see the license plate with her computer, but, she knew the cops had the technology to clear it up.

For the first time in over a week she felt the smallest breath of relief. They had a chance now, Drake had a chance. She hoped against everything that he was okay, and that this would help the police find him. That man, he'd best hope she never found him.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

It had been three days since they'd sat in the cemetary, and the weight of those thoughts was heavy on Drake's mind. They had been put back into their regular routine, and so far, it had been without incident. But he lived in constant fear of those beatings, of those men who would visit again. He pushed himself harder then he ever had to do things right. he didnt want to be hurt, didnt want to see the others hurt.

He stood at the window in the foyer, cleaning it as he watched the world outside pass him by. He was loosing track of how long he'd been here, of the things he was trying so hard to remember. He was falling into the will of the drugs that were forced down his throat everyday. Their faces were fading, their voices almost completely gone. Even knowing that, he couldn't bring himself to cry. It was as if he'd already given all the tears he had, he was just accepting things as they were now.

Drake understood why the other boys had given up and taken the only way out. They would never be found, never be rescued from this. If he'd done his math right, boys had been being brought here for eight years, one boy for every six monthes, sixteen missing including himself. Twelve of them dead, the other four slowly dying. No one had found them yet, so, what were the odds that they ever would?

They were in the Laundry room when Dustin and Richard came in, not saying a word as they grabbed Drake by the arms and dragged him out.

"What did I do?" He begged as they forced him out the door. He'd been trying so hard, he was sure he hadnt done anything wrong.

"Shut up." Dustin barked as they took him to Brendon's office.

It didnt take Drake long to find Brendon behind his desk, or to see the back of the man standing in front of it. The tears he'd thought he was ride of were burning behind his eyes as he looked at the man from that night...

"Drake," brendon said smoothly. "You remember Zack, don't you?"

It took a moment for Drake to find his voice. "Yes sir." he said, words shaking.

"He's taken quite a liking to you. You'll be spending the rest of your day with him, understood?"

The tears were falling. "Yes sir..." He didnt beg with his voice, but with his eyes. Silently begging not to be left alone with the man.

Brendon smiled, turning back to Zack. "Boys, take Drake to the guest room, have him ready for when Zack and I are finished with our transaction."

"Yes sir." they answered in unison, dragging Drake out of the office.

He tried to pull away, to break his arms free as they walked him up the stairs, down a hall he'd neverseen. He wanted to scream, but couldnt find his voice. The guest room wasnt like the ones he'd seen in normal homes. There was a large bed, fancy sheets streached across it, but there were chains tangled in its iron frame. There were shackles on the brightly painted walls, the sharp contrast making them stand out to Drake's wide eyes. Dark, shining metal against pale pastel wallpaper.

Beautiful paintings of far away landscapes hung everywhere, a large mirror rested on the wall across from the bed. The window was open, letting the warm air gently rush in, letting it carry away the scents of the incents on the dresser that didnt hold clothes.

Drake was forced against the wall as his shirt was taken off, thrown onto the soft carpet and forgotten. His wrists were locked into the shakles as he begged them not to do it. Richard pulled a large cloth gag from the dresser and tied it into Drake's mouth, stopping his pleads.

Dustin took a small whip from another drawer, hitting him three times with moderate force. He didnt break the skin, but he left thin, stinging welts across drake's back. He cried as quietly as he could, hoping that they wouldn't hit him again.

They stood there, watching him and laughing until Zack came into the room. There were instructed to wait outside, should he need them. Then they were gone, and Drake found himself wishing they were still there. He didnt want to be alone with this man.

Zack whistled as he approached Drake, leaning against his back and touching the fresh red welts. He laughed softly as Drake cringed at the sudden pain.

"I've been thinking about you." He whispered. "Brendon has always had a good eye for what his friends want, and for you, I have the extra cash."

Drake tried to plead with him, his words nothing more then desperate murmurs.

"Shh." Zack whispered, "We havent even begun yet."

He stepped away from Drake, pulling a blindfold and leather strap from the dresser as he hummed one of Drake's songs. He tied the blindfold tightly against his eyes, slapping his ass before stepping away and lashing the leather strap against his back. He screamed as the hit landed, harder then the ones Dustin had given him, his entire back tingled. He was hit again and again, until his back burnt with pain and was a bright red. There were welts everywhere, and in some places, blood.

Zack put the strap back into its drawer and unlocked the cuffs holding drake up. he caught him as he began to fall, carrying him over toward the bed and laying him down before locking his wrists into the chains at its head. It hurt to lay on his back, the pain of every movement coursing through him.

Zack climbed on top of him, grinding his hips against drake's as he moaned. ""Ive been waiting for this..." he said between moans, slowly winding his hand around drake, pressing into his back with sharp, piercing fingernails.

All he could do was scream. Scream at the pain, at the growing fear for what he knew was coming. His tears continued to fall, soaking into the blindfold and dripping down his cheeks.

He felt Zack move off of him, pulling away his pants and he went wild. he kicked blindly, trying to pull himself into a protective ball and keep away the man who meant to hurt him. zack stepped to the side, grabbing Drake's ankle roughly and holding it down as he jumped back on top of him. He ripped away the blindfold, looking into wide, frightened brown eyes.

"I'm glad to be your first here." he said with a mocking smile. "it's no fun if one of the others gets you first."

Drake cried as Zack ran his hands over him, touching him and hurting him. he tried to distract his body from the things that were happening to it, tried to make it stop responding in a way that betrayed him. He felt disgusted with himself as his member rose in response to the things Zack did to it, as it finally gave Zack what he wanted. Exhausted and betrayed, Drake layed his head back in defeat. He'd never hated himself more.

He watched with empty eyes as Zack moved his legs, positioning himself between them. Though he was given no warning, no preparation, he knew what was going to happen. His body arched with pain as Zack forced himself in, thrusting against him over and over. The harder and faster Zack thrust, the more Drake cried as a new pain made his body its home.

Drake tried to look away from the hungry face of the man who was raping him, only to see himself in the mirror at the foot of the bed. He saw what was happening, and he felt himself go numb. He turned away from his reflection, looking toward the open window, his cries being carried away on the soft breeze. He watched the clouds drift lazily by, counting the seconds it took for them to dissapear from his vision. Anything to distract him from what was happening, to take his mind away...

Every time Zack caught him drifting off, he hit him. A quick, sharp slap to the face to bring him back into the here and now. He coud taste the blood from his lip leaking past the saliva soaked gag and trickling down his throat.

When zack was finally finished he laughed. "That was excellant!" He said, starring down at the broken boy on the bed. "Soon, we'll have to do this again soon."

Drake didnt say anything, not that his words would have been heard if he tried. He layed there, body throbbing and eyes empty as he tried not to look at Zack. He waited until Zack was dressed and gone to relax, feeling the pain travel in waves down his body.

Not long after Zack had left, Dustin and Richard came in to get him. The freed his wrists, throwing his clothes at him and demanding that he get dressed. He put his old clothes on as fast as he could, not resisting as they grabbed his arms and forced him back to the basement, locking him into the bathroom.

He stumbled over toward the shower, turning the water on as hot as he could and sat within its falling water. He cried there, alone and hurting. He watched the blood wash away from between his thighs, felt it trickling down his back. He waited until the water faded into an icy cold to pull himself out of it. he didnt look at himself as he pulled on a fresh pair of clothes, didnt look at Dustin and Richard as they pushed him into his cell and left him there. He just curled up on his bed, letting the tears fall, the bittersweat relief of being alone wash over him.

He didnt look at the other boys when they were brought down to clean up after their work was done, nor did he eat when the food was layed out. He simply stared at the windows, truly knowing what those other boys must have felt like when they were here.

It wasnt until after they were locked up for the night, and the others had gone that his friends came to him. he didnt want to talk to them, not now. Damien sat on the floor beside his bed, this time holding drake's hand, giving him what comfort he could. Drake squeezed his hand, holding back the tears that wanted to fall at such a small act of kindness.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

As soon as their current case was over JJ preparred the files for the next one. She'd spent the last three days looking into the missing boys from California, and, was sure there was something there. She waited until the team was assembled in the conference room before handing out the files sh'd preparred.

"Over the last eight years sixteen boys have gone missing, each one is taken six monthes after the last, usually from oublic places. None of them have been found. The last one was Drake parker, he dissapeared around ten days ago. Six monthes to the day from when Evan Blooms went missing. All of them are from different parts of California, which is why the dissapearences havent been linked together."

"Do any of the local police have any leads at all?" hotch asked. There was a case here, but, if there wasnt anything to go on, then they couldnt do much.

"The police in San Diago were linked a low quality video this morning from an unknown person," JJ said, pulling up the video. "It's not very clear, but that is Drake Parker being moved into the trunk of the car."

"Do they have a match on the license plate?" Morgan asked, watching in disgust as the man drove off the screen.

"they've traced the car back to a Paul Servino, he checked into a motel a week before the kidnapping, checked out the day of." JJ said.

"He gave himself enough time to study the kids routine before taking him." hotch obserbed.

"Looks like we're going to San Diago." Gideon said, staring at the video on the progector. Hopefully, they werent too late.

They were getting ready to board the jet when JJ called Audrey, letting her know that they were taking the case and on their way to California. She could hear the pain and relief in Audrey's voice as she thanked her. But JJ knew it was too early for thanks. They didn't have much to go on right now, and the trail was ten days cold.


	9. Closer

**A/N:** Thanks for the continues support guys, no matter how often I write bad things, its always hard and im always nervous about how they will be recieved. Your support means alot to me. There will be a few refrenses to my fic _Sold_ in this chapter.

_CoogrrrShae_ - I use Gideon because im so in love with the original cast, and when I was writing Criminal minds fics, I used the old cast. I'm a bit more comfortable with them, still nervous about writing them after all this time though.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Hours had passed since the others had fallen asleep. But Drake couldn't sleep, and, after his first few tries, he didnt want to. Every time he closed his eyes he relived every moment of it, saw it all from the mirror at the foot of the bed, felt it rip through him again.

Every time he moved another wave of pain coarsed through his body, his tears riding those hurtful waves. Singular, silent streams of liquid pain gleaming in the moonlight as it fell through the barred windows.

"you should try to sleep." Ash's voice drifted through the room.

"Can't..." Drake sighed.

"I know it hurts now, but, the pain will go away." Ash said, trying to comfort him. "The first time is always the worst."

The words_ first time _stung. They meant that it wouldn't be the last, that it would happen again.

"How do you do it?" Drake asked, his voice cracking. "How do you stay so strong, after being here so long?"

Ash took a moment to think before sighing heavily and walking over toward Drake. He sat on the floor next to him, taking his hand briefly, reassuring him that he wasnt alone. "It's not easy. Sometimes it feels worse then just giving in to how horrible I really feel. Holding all of it back, putting on a calm face when all I want to do is just break down..." He shuddered, pushing away tears. "If I can't stay strong, can't show everyone that we can get through this, then i risk seeing them give up. I don't want to watch anyone else die."

Drake placed his hand on Ash's shoulder, trying not to look at the bruises around his wrists.

"I worry about Damien the most..." Ash said softly. "He's had it worse then all of us, and i've seen that look he gets in his eyes before. The empty calm before the storm. The acceptance that leads to the final decision. I don't want to see him take that road, he's like a little brother to me..."

Drake looked over toward Damien's bed, watching him twitch as his dreams held onto him. he knew what Ash was talking about.

"Just remember that we're here for you." Ash said, looking Drake in the eye. "We've all been through this, we know how it feels. If you need to let it out, then let it all out. Don't bottle it up until you can't go on anymore."

"I wont." Drake promised, though the words seemed forced. He didnt know how long he'd be able to handle all of this.

"It hurts." He said.

"I know." Ash replied.

"will it hurt every time?" Drake asked, he was crying again.

"Each and every." Ash replied, sitting on the bed next to him, moving the hair away from Drake's eyes. "You learn to numb yourself to it, make it like the feeling you get when your foot falls asleep.'

Drake nodded. "Thank you." he said, closing his eyes.

"Try to sleep." Ash said. "Tomorrows going to hurt."

Drake nodded, his voice lost to him now. He tried to relax, to push the pain away from his thoughts. He felt himself drifting, thanking Ash for being with him as he fell into sleep.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Audrey was at the police station as soon as she could be. she wanted to meet the people who were looking fir her son, to see the video they'd found and make sure it was Drake. She wanted it to be Drake, to know that they had something to go on.

She watched the grainy video, blurred but enhanced, that was her son being laid down in the trunk of that car. "Thats Drake." She nodded, holding back tears. "That's my son." she reached out to the screen, lightly tracing the image of her son in that man's arms.

"We have a lead on the vehicle." Officer Pekoe said softly. "Were bringing in the man who took him."

"Does he have Drake?" She asked, eyes pleading.

"We don't know."

"why would he do this?" She asked, hurt.

"We don't know." Officer Pekoe answered, shaking his head. "But we'll find him."

She nodded her head, thanking him as she looked back to the screen. Watching the paused image and hoping that he was all right.

the memners of the BAU team were setting up in a small conference room, laying out photos of the missing boys ad going over the files. They'd been taking turns calling the families. Most of them were angry that it had taken so long for the FBI to get involved, all of them were hurting. Some of these children had been missing for years.

They all looked up as Officer Pokoe let Audrey into the room, looking at her disheveled appearence and knowing that she hadnt been sleeping. She was hurting.

JJ stepped forward, taking Audrey's hand in a comforting handshake. "I'm agent Jareau, we spoke on the phone." She said gently.

"Thank you for comeing." Audrey said. "Drake's been missing for so long, we started to worry that he might not have a chance." She couldn't say the words without crying.

"We're very lucky someone sent in the video, or we wouldn't have any leads." JJ said, leading Audrey to the table and sitting her down. "Was Drake acting weird before he dissaperaed, like he thought someone was after him?"

"No, he was upset, but,"

"Why was he upset?" She ased gently, seeing how hard this was on Audrey.

Audrey sighed, shaking her head. "he'd been fighting with his brother, Josh. They're normally like two peas in a pod, so, when Josh started ingoring him, he just kind of shut himself off."

"And you didnt get any calls or messages from the man who took him?" JJ asked.

"No," Audrey said. "Nothing. the police were sure that Drake had run away, but he would never..." She was crying harder. "i'm sorry." She said as she tried to push away the tears.

"Its okay." JJ said, taking her hands and holding them.

They were interupted wnem Officer Pekoe entered the room. "We have Paul, he's in the interrogation room."

The team nodded, following The officer to the room. They stood on the other side of the two way glass, looking at the man who sat there, calm. He was an average looking guy, the same one from the video. They let Audrey stand outside as Hotch and Morgan entered the room.

"Good afternoon." paul said, as if he didnt have a care in the world. "Mind telling me why I'm here?"

"You've been arrested for the kidnapping of Drake parker." Hotch said, sitting across from him.

"You see, thats what the police said, but, I havent kidnapped anybody." paul said, smiling.

Hotch played the enhanced video, clearly showing Paul on the screen. "That's you, and thats your car." He paused the image as Paul was putting Drake in the trunk. "And that's Drake parker. Where is he?"

Paul rolled his eyes, trying to hide his anger. "Don't know." he lied.

"Did you kill him?" Hotch asked, he knew Audrey could hear them, that the question would haunt her.

"No." paul answered, "Im sure he's still breathing."

"Where is he?" morgan asked, his anger not hidden.

"He's where I was paid to take him. I want my lawyer." paul said. They knew he'd taken the kid, but he refused to tell them anything more. Brendon's men would find him, and, he could risk a few years in prison.

"Who payed you to take him?" Hotch asked, his eyes cold.

"that's confidential." Paul chuckled.

"You're looking at at least five years in prison." Morgan snapped. "Tell us where the kid is."

"You're boring me." Paul yawned. "I knew the risks when I got into this buisness."

"What buisness?" Hotch asked. He was intent on getting something out of this man.

Paul smiled. "Lets just call it indentured servitude." He flashed his white teeth at the mirror. "I take them to the people who want them, after that, I don't care what happens to them."

"How many kids have you taken?" hotch asked.

"Quite a few." paul smirked. "They all end up in the same place." He turned toward Morgan. "If your people would have stayed in chains, who knows, those kids might still be at home."

It took everything morgan had not to hit him. Racism was one thing, but everything about this case upset him.

Paul laughed. "Got you good there, didnt I?" He turned toward Hotch, staring him in the eye. "About a year ago the FBI shut down one of our main auction houses, it was run by Gregory Sanders." He gave them that, knowing that it would leave them with the thoughts that would haunt them. The FBI knew what gregory Sanders had been doing, that anyone taken by those sort of people, well, they wouldn't be living well.

Reid felt his pulse quicken at the menton of that name. Memories that he hadnt visited in months ran fresh through his mind and he could feel Gideon's hand on his shoulder. "Im okay." He said emptily. He could feel his calm slipping as he remembered more and more from that time.

Hotch looked at paul in disgust, gathering his files he stood up. "We're done here." He said, gesturing for morgan to follow him out.

"he isnt going to tell us anything." he said to gideon upon leaving the interrogation room.

Gideon nodded his head. They needed to find those kids, quickly.

"What was he talking about?" Audrey asked. they had all gone tense at the mention of the name Gregory Sanders.

The team looked at her, they'd forgotten that she was with them. None of them knew how to tell her that her son was probably in the hands of a sexual sadist, none of them had the heart.

"We're going to look into it." gideon said, nodding at Elle who quickly walked away, as if going to check something.

Audrey knew they were lying. She'd seen the way they had reacted to that name. If they didnt want to tell her, fine. She'd look it up on the computer at home. She nodded politly to them, thanking them again before leaving.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**A/N:** this chapter was sorta rushed, and, it's not the best. I just wanted to get the next one out for you guys.


	10. We want them young

**Disclaimer:** I dont own the characters of Drake and Josh, or Criminal Minds. The lyrics to _We Want Them Young _belongto Emilie Autumn.\

**A/N**: I want to apologize for how badly the Criminal minds characters are being written..Ive lost touch with them...

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

It had been two days since she'd watched the scene in the interrogation room. Two days since she'd gone home, turned on her computer and read words that had broken her heart.

_"Man in charge of one of the largest sexual slavery rings finally caught!"_

_"Hundreds of missing teenagers found, more still missing." _

She'd read every article on the internet, sitting at her computer as if frozen in time. She wanted to believe that those sorts of people hadnt taken Drake, that when Paul had said indentured servitude, he'd meant just that. But a part of her believed that this Gregory Sanders and the buisness he'd run had something to do with the men who'd taken Drake. It was killing her.

What sort of monsters would do that? To children no less? She tried not to think about it, but even in her nightmares she could see it. Thirteen days had passed since she'd seen her son, she didnt want to imagine what could have happened to him in that time.

Today was paul Servino's trial. She dragged herself out of bed, feeling her bones screach with the movement. She hadnt been eating, or sleeping, and her body could feel it. She wanted to be there, to see that man get what he deserved. She needed to see him be put away for what he'd done.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The BAU team had spent the last two days doing everything they could to try and find another lead. paul still refused to tell them anything more, no matter what they'd tried to offer. They'd split into two person groups and were driving all over the state, talking to the families of the missing boys. Each team took with them a mugshot of Paul, hoping that one of the families recognized him, that maybe he'd had an accomplice that they'd be able to track.

Some of the boys had been missing so long that their families couldnt offer anything. Eight years was a long time after all. Almost none of them had ever seen the man. A seven year old girl in LanCaster knew him.

"He was at mcDonalds." She said, eyes wide as she looked at the picture. "My brother used to take me there for shakes after school."

"did he talk to you and your brother?" Elle asked.

"Everyday." She said. "He was a very nice man." She smiled, but it soon dissapeared. "Did he take my brother away?" Abigale asked.

"We think so." Reid said, patting her on the shoulder.

She twisted her fingers around a locket hanging from her neck, looking up to the agents with big, blue eyes. "Are you going to bring my brother back?"

"Were gonna try." Elle said, feeling her heart ache. She couldnt promise anything to this little girl, but, they'd try.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Drake was in the foyer when he saw the cars pulling up in the long driveway. All of them shining cleanly in the bright sunlight. Four cars, all of them driven by men with large wallets and depraved eyes. He watched in silence as Brendon let them into the house, all looking at him, but none saying a word as he was looked over like a piece of meat. They followed Brendon into his office, leaving Drake with a new feeling of dread.

_~...We want them young We want them fresh  
>We want them We want them now!...~<em>

The men stood around Brendon's desk, eyes hard as they waited for him to sit down.

"Gentlemen." he said, looking up at them. "What can I do for you?"

"Your man was arrested the other day." one of them said. "Will he give out your information?"

"No." Brendon said with a smile. "Paul knew the risks comng into this, and he knows the risks of saying anything."

"Good." the oldest man said, smiling wickedly. "This has been very stressful for us, brendon."

"A little relaxation is all we need now." Said another.

"Assurance that our time and money isnt wasted on you." Said the third.

Brendon smiled, ringing a bell. "I'll have the boys ready for you within the hour."

The men smiled, pulling out their wallets. They paid in cash.

_~...We want our freedom from this prison  
>Help us! Please let us out!...~<em>

The boys were pulled away from their work and shoved into their bathroom. No special clothing was layed out for them this time, just clean copies of their regular work clothes. They cleaned and dressed quickly, knowing the punishments for stalling.

Drake could see the change in their eyes, the moment they started to numb themselves to what was happening around them and he knew what was coming. He tried to harden himself to the fear that was settling in his stomach. Tried to push away the tears as Brent and Dustin came in and took Ash and Damien away.

Minutes later Benny and Richard came for him and Zane. taking them roughly by the arms and leading them toward the guest bedroom.

"Please, dont do this." Drake begged, only to be hit. He placed his hand against the throbbing pain in his cheek.

He didnt know where they'd taken Ash and Damien, but they were gone from his thoughts as soon as they were taken into the guest room, shackled against those painfully pastel walls. Zack was there, waiting for him with a grotesque gleam in his eyes.

_~...I should be home by now…  
>Someone will come for me…...~<em>

The only thing he could do as he was being raped again was think of home. He pushed away the thoughts of what was happening and just focused on what had been. Those memories brought tears to his eyes, but they were better then the pain that was ripping through him now.

He grasped onto the hope that soon this would all be over, the dream that they would all be rescued and taken away from the life that was killing them. In their darkest moments, these empty hopes were all any of them had.

When the men were finished the boys were discarded and taken away. Hurt and ashamed, they were marched back toward their bathroom to clean themselves up. They didnt say anything to each other, and drake was glad for that. he didnt want to talk right now, if he tried, all of the tears he was holding back would break free.

As soon as they were cleaned up they were taken back to their work stations, as if nothing had happened. They had to work faster to make up for the hour that they had spent away. they werent given any sort of break that time, no time to rest their bodies from their abuse. Brendon wanted his house clean, wanted his guests to see what hard, obidient workers he had.

_~... was they who sent you to our fine institution  
>You're difficult, we are the solution<br>God, didn't you know, didn't you think, didn't you see, Fool!...~_

It wasnt until after his dinner that he went to see the boys. They were in the kitchen, cleaning up his dishes when he went to pour himself a glass of wine. He'd seen so many come and go over the years. He watched them a they looked at him with fear and disgust in their tired eyes. A million angry words on their tongues, yet not a sound came from them.

How long would this lot last? he wondered as he watched them. Such free spirits when they'd been taken, but all of that had been quickly remedied. They should have known, should have seen that their good looks and unique talents would get them into trouble.

Fools, the lot of them. he chuckled as he left the room. They were all holding on to their delusions of rescue, their hopes in having back the lives he'd robbed them of. But they never would, they were his, and they were bringing him more money then he could possibly use. Even after they were dead and burried, new ones would be brought in.

This was the life. He went to work, kept up appearences and tied up any loose ends. He made his money and watched the lights in their eyes die. It was an easy, happy life.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Audrey watched with shallow eyes as Paul took the stand, refusing to say anything to help the police in their search for the missing boys. His face held the same mocking calm as it had when the FBI had interrogated him. She hated that man. More then anything she wanted to jump up from her seat and hit him. She wanted to destroy that thin smile that never left his lips.

Three years in prison. that was all he'd gotten. she felt cheated by his sentence. It wasnt enough, life in prison wouldnt have been enough. She didnt feel the pleasure she thought she would have as she watched the police take him away. No, the emptiness and hurt only thickened as she sat there, waiting to leave.

She entered her house, looking into her childrens curious faces and it was all she could do not to cry in front of them. The man who had taken drake was in prison, but they were no closer to finding him, to bringing him home. She refused to tell them about gregory Sanders, about what the FBI was surly suspecting drake had been taken for. It had been hard enough to tell Walter, she couldnt put that horror into their minds as well.

After Audrey had dismissed herself from the room, Meghan turned toward Josh, her eyes dark. "She's not telling us everything."

"Yeah..." josh said.

Meghan stared at Josh, the tears in his eyes shimmering as they fell down his cheeks. She didnt care that he was hurting, right now, she hated him. "This is all your fault." She said quietly, glarring at him.

"What?" He asked, shocked to hear her say it. He'd been thinking it, but, if no one said it aloud, then he didnt have to believe it.

"If you hadnt been so hard on him, he might still be here." She accused. She knew that that man had been payed to kidnap Drake, that he might have been taken even if he and Josh hadnt been fighting, but, drake had been alone, there had been no one by his side and she blamed Josh.

Josh turned his eyes to the floor, swallowing hard. "I know..." he whispered.

"I hate you." She said, running toward her room.

"I hate me too." Josh said, falling to his knees.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

_~...It's far too crowded in this cell_  
><em>We are not living — we're in Hell!<em>  
><em>When will the tables finally turn?<em>  
><em>When will they fall?...~<em>

They were alone in their cell that night before any of them spoke. They were tired, they were hurting. Their bodies ached from their constant abuse, the hunger that was never fully quieted. Empty eyes looked over their surroundings, sore from crying and lack of sleep. In the dark of their cell they saw more clearly then they did in the morning light. Their scars whispered loudly in the silence.

"Something happened today." Ash said, looking at his friends. "They never just show up like that."

"Do you think the police are on to them?" Zane asked, empty hope in his vioce.

"Don't know." Ash replied, "But something was different."

"It'll all be over soon." Damien said from his bed. "No more pain, Just the emptiness that it leaves behind. The darkness will dissapear as the light takes over." he sighed, cringing as he turned away from them, closing his eyes as the nightmares crept on the edge of his vision. "No more drowning," he said softly. "Just a hell much less cruel then the one we know."

Ash got out of bed, going to sit with Damien. He let the younger boy lay his head in his lap as he cried himself to sleep.

"Do you really think someone will find us?" Drake asked, not wanting to hope to hard.

"After being here this long..." Zane said, eyes closed. "I dont know."

"They have to get caught eventually." Drake said quietly. They couldnt just get away with this. The things they'd done, the things they were still doing... They had to get caught eventually, pay for it all.

"Something needs to happen," Ash said. "We cant keep living like this."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The BAU sat around their table, looking over everything they had for the hundreth time. even after two days of talking to the families of the missing kids, they didnt have more then they'd started with.

"They take one kid every six monthes, all of them from a different city." Hotch said.

"The distance between where they're taken and the length of time between is why no one's connected them yet." JJ said. "All from different jurisdictions."

"They all had different talents, something that made them stand out." Reid mused. "Whoever hired paul was probably with him when he noticed them. Most buyers want to see a product for themselves before buying it." he didnt like refering to people that way, but, that was how their unsub saw them. He knew that feeling all to well.

"He probably wouldnt take a kid from his own city, so, they've got to be in another one." Morgan said, eyes straining over a map of the state.

"There are 456 cities in California." Reid said. "We can rule out sixteen of them."

"There has to be an easy way to figure this out." Elle said, looking at the map. "We cant just wait for another kid to go missing."

"If he keeps to his schedule, that wont be for another five monthes." Gideon said. "And it would only mark one more city off of the map."

'it would take 220 years to narrow down where they are." reid said quietly.

"There has to be something were not seeing." JJ said.

"whoever has them has a big enough home to keep them in, assumong he's not selling them off. And a staff capable of keeping them under control." Hotch said.

"The house would probably be more isolated, so, they arnt in a bigger city." Morgan chipped in.

"Wherever they are, we need them to make some sort of wrong move, or we might not find them at all." Gideon said, rubbing his temples.


	11. BlackBird

**A/N**: Everything about this chapter made me cry while writing it, it's been one of the toughest I've ever done.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Josh didnt want to get out of bed that morning. He'd never felt so empty as he did now, so drained of life. He'd cried himself to sleep that ngiht, his pillow stiff with the dried, salty remnants of his hurt. He wanted his brother back, he wanted to fix what he'd broken.

Meghan had been right to blame him, and he knew that his parents must be doing the same thing. He should have gone after Drake, should have let that apology sink in sooner. That man was going to come after Drake regardless, but, if he'd have had his back, then, maybe he would still be here.

The room was to big for him, too empty. Everywhere he looked he saw reminders of Drake, bits and pieces of their lives together. He'd thought that pushing Drakke away would make him happier, but he'd always known he needed him. It was easy to ignore him when he knew that Drake would be there when he broke down. But he was gone now, and the only thing Josh wanted was to have him there by his side, getting him mixed up in some harebrain plan.

He'd begged Audrey to let him stay home from school today, he didnt want to see those people. To have their eyes on him, burning with curiosity. He'd all ready called work, he wouldn't be there tonight, couldn't be. He was breaking down, falling into the darkness that had become his life.

He dragged himself to the bathroom, starring into the mirror. There were bags under his red eyes. He didnt like the person he saw staring back at him. Didnt like how cruel that person had been in Drake's time of need. Without fully realizing what he was doing, he reached into the cabinet, taking the razor and breaking it apart.

His tears were falling again as he took the blade to his wrist. The first cut was the hardest, that seperation of skin and the blood that trickled out, falling like his tears into the sink. He made a cut for every day that Drake had been gone. Fourteen streaks of red, fourteen days that Drake had been suffering because of him. Josh fell to the floor, cradleing his bleeding wrist against his chest as he cried.

He didnt like what he'd done, not two weeks ago, not minutes before. He was breaking down, drowning in the darkness that was overtaking him. He shook as he rocked back and forth on the cold floor, blood soaking into his shirt as the cuts exhausted themselves.

He stumbled back into his room, bandages hiding what he'd done. It wasnt enough. This stinging pain couldnt be close to what Drake must be feeling. He fell onto his bed, looking at an old photo of the two of them together.

"Im sorry," he whispered. "Im so sorry drake..." He was crying again.

Outside the window the sun shone, the singing of the birds catching his attention. He'd heard Drake sing an old Beatles song about a bird, but now, he couldnt remember the words. He'd have given anything to have Drake there, singing that song right now.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Damien was awake before any of them that morning, standing at the window and listening to the songs of the birds. He hummed drake's song as he closed his eyes, trying to imagine what it was like to be a bird. Flying free in that blue sky, the sun warm on his feathers. That was what he wanted most, to be set free, to be safe.

Ash got out of bed as queitly as he could, going to stand next to Damien and placing a hand on his thin shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Damien nodded. "I'm the best that I can be." He said quietly.

Ash wrapped his arms around his young friend. He was afraid of how quiet Damien had gotten, how distant he was. He held him tightly, not holding back his own tears now. "It's going to be okay." He tried to believe his own words.

Damien hugged Ash back, burrying his face in his shoulders. Ash had always been so strong, even in the faces of everything they'd been though he was pushing forward. But this life, he couldnt handle it anymore. This was their life, and it was killing him.

Ash pulled away, looking down at Damien. There were tears in the younger boys eyes, a forced smile on his lips. "It's gonna be okay," he said again. "I'm here for you, you dont have to go through this alone." He wanted to protect him, to sheild him from all of it.

"Thanks." Damien said quietly, turning back to the window. He was humming again, that same song Drake had sang to him, that had stayed with him since he heard it.

Ash stood behind Damien, listening to him hum the song. For as strong as he tried to be, he was powerless. Without Damien there to give him a reason to fight, he was weak. He was like a little brother to him, someone he wanted to protect. Damien was his strength, and he needed him to get through this darkness. To shine a light in it so he didnt get lost within the pain and hatred flowing through his body.

they stood like that until the others came to get them, to start their usual routine. Neither of them spoke, they just watched to world pass them by as Damien hummed that song. Ash placed his hand on his shoulder, assuring him that everything would be all right.

"I know it will." Damien said, smiling before they were let out to begin their day.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Morgan and Reid were driving to the Nichols/Parker house to question Josh. There was a chance he'd seen the man who took Drake, maybe seen anyone who might have been with him. They needed something else to go on, or this case was lost.

Morgan took his eyes off the road, looking over at Reid. He'd been quiet since Paul had mentioned Sanders. They'd spent the last year helping him through that whole ordeal, only to have some sicko bring it all back up.

"Reid, you okay?"

"Yeah." he answered, trying not to sound distracted.

"If its bothering you, you can tell me. I'm here for you man." Morgan said. It hurt to think that reid was holding it all back, trying to handle it on his own.

"The nightmares are back." he said quietly after a few minutes. "It's all comeing back."

Morgan put a hand on his shoulder. "it'll be okay, we're gonna catch these guys."

reid shook his head. "We may not find all of those kids, and the ones we might find..." his voice trailed off. "they've been gone so long..."

"I know." Morgan said, hiding his anger. Anger at what had happened to Reid, at what those kids were surly going through. hatered at the kinds of people who could do those things. "We're gonna get them out of there."

"I hope so..." Reid said, voice lost to him now.

Audrey welcomed them into the house with a forced smile. She wasnt angry with them, she was just hurting. She'd read those horrid articles and tried to reason with herself that Drake couldnt be with those kinds of people. But she knew, somehow she knew the truth.

She knocked on the door to the boys' room softly, entering it as she had so many times since Drake had been taken. Usually, she waited until everyone was gone, then she'd climb into Drake's bed and cry. But not today.

"Josh," She said softly, looking onto her son. "The FBI agents want to talk to you, okay?"

He turned toward her, whiping the tears away from his face. "Mom?" he asked quietly.

"What is it?" She asked, sitting next to him.

"Nothing..." he replied. he couldnt ask her if she blamed him, he was too afraid of the answer.

She smiled, pulling him into a tight hug. "It's going to be okay." She said softly. "They're going to find," She choked back a sob. "they'll find Drake."

She pulled herself away from Josh, standing in the doorway. "I'll bring them up." And then she was gone.

Josh threw on a long sleeved shirt, moving to the couch and waiting. He tugged athis sleeves repeatedly, making sure the bandages were covered.

Audrey lead the agents to the boys' room, letting them in before standing in the hallway. She wanted to be close, in case josh needed her.

"Hi Josh," Morgan said. "I'm Derek morgan, this is Spencer Reid, can we talk to you for a few minutes?"

Josh nodded. "Sure."

"We're trying to find your brother." Morgan said, pulling out the mugshot of Paul. "Do you recognize him at all?"

Josh stared into the face of the man who'd taken his brother. he seemed familier. "I think so."

"Do you know where you might of seen him, or if he was with anyone?" Morgan asked.

"I think he was at the Premire a few times, that's the theatre where I work." Josh said. The man had been following Drake around while he'd been ignoring him. "I, I didnt see anyone with him though. I wasnt really paying attention..."

"It's okay." reid said, placing a hand on Josh's shoulder. "You wouldnt have known to suspect him, he wouldnt have stood out."

Josh looked at the agents, trying not to cry in front of them. "You guys are going to find Drake, right?"

"yeah." Morgan said. "We're going to bring him home." He could see how badly the kid was hurting.

Josh nodded, turning his eyes to the floor. "It's all my fault he got taken, I should have had his back."

"It wasnt your fault." Morgan tried to assure him. He knew that kind of guilt, what it could do to you. When Reid had been taken, they'd always been a step behind, they hadnt been there in time to save him from the things that had happened. "The people who took your brother would have tried even if you'd been there, they might have killed you if you'd interfered."

Josh shook his head. "Even if they'd have killed me, at least i'd have been there for him! I was terrible to him before they took him, I," he was crying and he hated it. "I should have had his back, I should have apologized when i had the chance..."

Reid grasped Josh's hand, holding it tightly. "If you'd have been hurt, then Drake would have blamed himself. He wouldnt have the strength to fight back." he said. "He needs you to be strong right now, because when he comes home, he's going to need you." Reid knew, he knew what it was like to need someone. To be so hurt and afriad that it left you paralyzed.

"Do you think he's blaming me?" Josh asked, voice small.

"No." Reid answered sincerely. "He won't blame you."

"I think my parents do..." josh said. "They blame me." He tried to make the tears stop. "They dont say it, but, i know they're thinking that if I would have been a better person, Drake would still be here."

Morgan shook his head. "Your parents are just hurting right now, they dont blame you, Josh. What happened wasnt your fault."

Audrey leaned aganst the wall for support, her hand over her mouth as she tried to quiet the tears. She hadnt known Josh felt that way...of course they didn't blame him, none of this was his fault. Siblings fight. Josh would have died to protect Drake, he was the best friend, brother, that Drake could have. She couldnt let Josh feel that way. Fall into that guilt...

She waited until the agents had left to go back to the boys' room, and, without a word took Josh into her arms. ""it wasnt your fault," She cried. "We love you Josh, it wasnt your fault."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

They were in the kitchen when it happened.

Their work day was comeing to a close when Damein turned away from the dishes he was washing and looked at Drake, smiling. "Can you sing the song for me, the one about the birds?"

Drake looked over his shoulder, seeing the others ignoring them as they worked. "Sure," he smiled, singing it softly as he dried the dishes.

Drake lost track of the flow of dishes as he quetly sang to Damien, listening to him hum along. He reached for the next dish to dry, but it wasnt there. He stopped singing, looking over at Damien's quiet face staring out the window. he was smiling as tears slid down his cheeks.

"Damien?" he asked.

There was no response, just the rise and fall of his chest as he took a shaky breath.

Drake looked down at the water, his breath catching in his throat. It was red! Damien's hands were under the water, out of sight, shaking as the sinks murky water grew redder. He couldnt move, he wanted to pull Damien's arms out, to see that he was okay, but he was paralyzed.

He wanted to call out, to say Damien's name, to get anyone's attention. he was frozen in a fear that he'd never known. His eyes screaming as his voice faught with his breath to come out.

"Damien..." he said in a frightened whisper.

Ash looked over to them, waiting for the next dish to put away when he snapped. All of his reserve, all of his strength bleeding out of him. "Damien...?" he asked in a shocked whisper.

"DAMIEN!" Ash screamed, pushing past Drake he pulled Damien away from the sink, eyes falling onto the open veins, the blood falling onto the floor.

he fell to the floor, cradleing Damien against him as he put his hands over his wrsits, trying to stop the bleeding. "Damien, Damien look at me, please!"

Benny and Dustin were quick to act, each of them grabbing Drake and Zane as they tried to go to Damien's side. Drake screamed as his left arm was twisted behind his back, as he was pulled away from his dying friend. Dustin placed his hand over Drake's mouth, trying to quiet him. Benny did the same with Zane.

"Damien," Ash begged, his tears falling onto the younger boys pale face. "Please, dont die, please..."

Damien looked up at Ash, smiling sadly. "It's over now, I'm free now..." He said as his own tears fell. "this death, it's saving me."

"No. no," Ash said, holding the boy closer. "I can't loose you, Damien,"

"It's okay." damien said. "tell Abigale that i'm sorry, that i love her..."

"You're gonna be okay." Ash said, though he knew better.

Brent and Richard grabbed Ash's arms, trying to pull him away from Damien.

"You fucking basterds!" Ash screamed as he pulled against them, trying to get back to his friend. He couldnt let him die, wouldnt let him be alone. "Let go of me." He yelled, breaking Richard's grasp he swung his free arm, hitting brent across the face.

He fell to the floor, grasping Damien's hand and holding it tightly. He hadnt realized his own hand was covered in damien's blood...

"Please," Damien said as his eyes glazed over, slowly shutting away his blue eyes.

"I'll tell her." Ash whispered.

Zane and Drake pulled against the men holding them, their tears falling as their muffled cries echoed against the walls.

Richard hit Ash across the face, dazing him. He grabbed Ash by the hair, pulling him to his feet and securing his hold on him. Ash turned toward Damien's lifeless body, reaching for him. "Damien..."

"get them downstairs and lock them up." Brent ordered, looking at Damien's body in disguet.

_~...Blackbird singing in the dead of night Take these sunken eyes and learn to see All your life You were only waiting for this moment to be free...Blackbird fly, blackbird fly Into the light of the dark black night~_


	12. Goodbyes

**DISCLAIMER**: _Let it be_ belong to the beatles. Its a beautiful song, and, I cry alot when I hear it, expecially if Im watching across the universe.

**A/N**: This chapter didnt come out much like I wanted, but, I still stand by it.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

They were forced out of the kitchen, hearded down the basement stairs, all the while their screams and protests were ignored. They wanted to be by Damien's side, wanted to be wth him. they couldn't belive what they'd seen, didnt want to. If they let it sink in, if they believed it, then it was real.

They were pushed into their cell, the sound of the lock clicking into place echoed against their ears. Ash wrapped his bloody hands around the bars, pulling at them as he screamed. He screamed because he was angry, because he was hurting. He wanted to deny that look in Damien's eyes as he'd died, the blood on his hands, his clothes. Damien's blood.

"Damien!" Ash screamed, falling to his knees and resting his head against the cold bars. "Why...?" he whispered as his tears fell.

Drake didnt know what to do. He'd never watched someone die like that, never seen so much blood. He was shaking as the tears fell down his cheeks, as his legs gave out and he fell to his knees. Damien was gone, he would never be there with them again. His smile wouldnt push them forward, his comfort wouldn't get him through the torments of the day to day.

He stared down at his hands, wishing that he'd have done something, anything. If he'd have been watching closer, maybe he would have been able to help. If only he would have noticed what Damien was doing. "I'm sorry..." he whispered.

Zane patted Drake on the back before going over to Ash, falling to his knees beside him he pulled his friend into a tight hug. He held Ash protectivly as he felt him break down. His own tears fell silently as he tried to look beyond the bars of their prison. There had to be a way out, to be anything they could do to escape this place. A differet way then Damien...

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Brendon stood in his kitchen, looking at the blood as it clotted on the floor around Damien's body. He was beyond angry as he looked at Brent.

"How did this happen?" He asked coldly.

"He must have gotten a knife past us, sir." brent said, trying to sound calm. He knew that he was being blamed for this. "Cut his wrists under the water."

"And the black eye?" brendon asked, looking at the bruise Ash had given Brent.

"Ash..." Brent answered.

"This is inexcusable." brendon said, moving around the body. "Obviously, I've been too easy on you and the others, given you too many freedoms. If it's too hard for you to watch a weakened group of teenagers clean dishes, then maybe you need more laborish tasks, more dicipline."

"Sir," brent cut himself off.

"Their dossages are to be upped." brendon said. "The three of them are to be beaten, then bring Ash up here, he can clean this up. The other two can dig the hole. Benny and Dustin are to take the body out of my house and put it in one of the _'boxes' _in the shed. Then you and your lot are to come to my office, I'll deal with you there." Brendon snapped, taking his leave of the kitchen.

He was furious. His investors had taken quite a liking to Damien, and now he was gone. There was still a little over five monthes left until he could bring another boy in to replace him. The doctor who gave him the boys' pills had loved Damien...

He went into his office, slamming the door as he stomped across the floor. This week had been terrible on him, Paul getting arrested, and now this. He felt like he was loosing control over his home, his buisness. The power he'd worked so hard to obtain, to keep over the years was slipping. Perhaps he'd gone soft as he'd gotten comfortable? Well, not anymore.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The boys watched with sore eyes as the men came down the stairs. Ash was on his feet in moments, his anger overtaking him as he tried to hit the men. Brent took the flogger and swung it at Ash, hitting him across the face in an attempt to get closer.

Ash ignored the blood dripping over his face from the cut just above his eyebrow. He didnt care what they did to him anymore. He wanted to hurt them, to make them feel any amount of pain.

Dustin and Benny took rough holds on Drake and Zane's arms, pulling them out of their cell and pushing them against the wall of the basement. There, they were shackled to the manacles hanging from the walls. It took all four of the men to get ahold of Ash. He never stopoed fighting them.

Once the three of them were restrained, Brent took the flogger and began to hit them. He didnt care if it hurt them, because he knew that Brendon would have no mercy when he punished the rest of them. He ignored Ash's cruel words, the cries of the other two. He hit them until their backs were covered in welts, until the blood had soaked through their shirts and their faces were covered in tears.

Hurt and weakened, they were easier to control. Broken and despaired, they were nothing more then slaves.

Benny and Dustin took Drake and Zane down, forcing them to stand as their legs tried to give out. They were empty now, absent minded shells of the boys they used to be. They forced the boys to walk forward, to march across the large yard toward the cemetary hidden behind the willow tree. Benny went to the shed, grabbing two shovels and throwing them at the boys.

"Dig." he comanded, walking away from them without looking back.

Brent and Richard dragged Ash up the stairs, into the kitchen where Damien's body still lay empty upon the floor. He looked at his fallen friend and fell to his knees, slamming his clenched fists against the floor. he let the tears fall freely, he couldnt have stopped them even if he'd tried.

he felt the length of chain attached to his ankle, felt its weight as it held him back. All he wanted was to hold his friend, his only wish was denied him as Richard slammed a bucket down in front of him.

"Clean it up." he grunted.

"Monsters..." Ash whispered.

Brent kicked him in the stomach, snickering as Ash shuddered in pain.

He watched with empty hatred as Dustin and benny entered the kitchen, jerking Damien's body up and carrying it away. He reached out to them with shaking hands, begging them to leave the body. It didnt matter if he sounded weak, that he was begging, He didnt want them to take Damien away, wasnt ready to completly loose him.

His heart broke as they laughed at him, taking Damien outside and away from him.

Ash stared at the blood on the floor, loosing himself in its dark reflection. He looked into his eyes, watching as the blood from the cut above his eyes dripped down, splashing against the surface. He watched as his tears fell, as he broke down. Hesitantly, he grabbed the bucket and began to scrub.

His hands were covered in Damien's blood, he could feel it against his skin as he tried to wash it away. No matter how much he scrubbed, it was still there. All that was left of his friend, all that remianed of his strength. he'd thought that by being there for Damien he could have prevented this. If he stayed strong, then Damien would to... he didnt blame Damien for taking his life, but he hated him for leaving him like that.

"I would have protected you..." He whispered.

He continued to clean the blood away from the floor, until all of it was gone. Damien was gone... he moved toward the sink to clean the blood out of it when he saw the knife. They had left it there, forgotten about it. He stared down at its dirty blade, picking it up genty he cleaned it off. How easy would it be to follow Damien's lead, to just let everything go?

Ash cursed at himself. He couldnt do it, couldnt leave the others to suffer alone. As carefully as he could, he hid the knife in the band of his pants and rinsed out the sink. One way or another, they were getting out of here.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

They could feel their backs scream in pain as they dug into the soft earth. The welts and cuts streaching, bleeding. The sweat crept into the open wounds, stinging the tender flesh. They didnt say much to each other, just dug while they cried. Tears for the pain, tears for their lost friend.

They watched as Benny and Dustin carried Damien's bod into the shed. Staring at his limp form as it was taken out of sight. He was gone now...

"I'm sorry..." Drake whispered.

"It wasn't your fault." Zane replied, turning back to the hole. "Damien did what he wanted to."

"I should have kept a better eye on him." Drake said bitterly. "If I hadn't froozen up,"

"Dont." Zane said, more sharply then he'd ment to. "There was nothing you could have done. Damien wanted out, we knew it was going to happen eventually." He said through tears.

"Do you think Ash will be okay?" Drake asked, gritting his teeth through the pain of digging.

Zane turned toward the house, "I don't know." he said honestly.

They continued to dig until late in the evening. After the hole was finished they streched their chains as far as possible, gathering as many flowersas their shaking hands could reach, and they spread them over the bottom of the hole. It was all they could do.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Brent and the others went to Brendon's office that night after locking the younger boys up. They were tense, because they knew they were going to be punished. They stood side by side, hands held behind their backs and expressions empty.

"Shirts off, against the wall." Brendon comanded.

They did as they were told. Each of them removed their black shirts, holding them tightly as they leaned against the wall, waiting. They didnt cry out as the thick leather whip hit them, they barly flinched. They let the pain coarse through them, riding on its waves as they stared emptily at the wall. They'd all been taught from a young age to accept pain for their mistakes, to learn from it.

The welts pulsed against their backs, the blood trickled like an ich. They embraced it, letting it give them that cruel feeling of life. For the four of them, feeling something was better then the emptiness that usually filled their shallow existence.

"I expect better from you all in the future." Brendon said, stepping away from them.

"Yes sir." they answered in unison.

"That'll be all for tonight." he said, waiting for them to put their shirts back on.

Brendon followed them to their room, locking them up for the night before returning to his office. There were angrt letters in his inbow from many of the men who'd prefered Damien. He read through them while rubbing his temples, sending each man an apology. He hated dealing with the deaths of his slaves.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The boys werent allowed to go to Damien's burial. They were left in their dark cell as the others went out, trying to see out the windows facing the back yard. They watched the pie box as it was carried out of the shed, as it dissapeared behind the weeping branches of the willow tree.

They each said silent prayers for their friend. They couldn't be out there to send him off, but, their words meant more then anything those others might say. They tried not to cry, because they knew that Damien was happy now, that he had gotten what he'd wanted.

They sat together on Damien's bed, talking about him. His smile, his way of looking at the world. They remembered him as he was being burried beneath the earth. Underground, same as them. In a sense, everytime they were down here in the basement, they were close to him. Underground, in the place where he'd felt at ease.

It was during an awkward silence that the melody came to Drake. He closed his eyes, remembering everything he could about Damien as the words came softly out of him.

_"When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me Speaking words of wisdom, let it be And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me Speaking words of wisdom, let it be Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be Whisper words of wisdom, let it be_  
><em>And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree There will be an answer, let it be For though they may be parted, there is still a chance that they will see There will be an answer, let it be..."<em>

Ash and Zane looked up at him, encouraging him to continue as they joined in.

_"Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be There will be an answer, let it be Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be Whisper words of wisdom, let it be Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.."_

They smiled as they sang, as their tears fell. Damien had ment alot to each of them, They wouldn't let his memory fade, no matter what they faced, no matter how many pills were shoved down their throats. He would live on, through them, for as long as they held out.

_"And when the night is cloudy there is still a light that shines on me Shine until tomorrow, let it be I wake up to the sound of music, Mother Mary comes to me Speaking words of wisdom, let it be Let it be, let it be, let it be, yeah, let it be There will be an answer, let it be Let it be, let it be, let it be, yeah, let it be Whisper words of wisdom, let it be..."_

They were silent for a long time after the song had finished. The light from the windows drifted upon them, giving them what little warmth it could.

Ash turned toward Drake, smiling sadly. "Thank you." he said softly.

Drake offered him a smile back, nodding.


	13. the doctors visit

Their hearts were heavy as they packed up their papers. They hadnt had any sort of break in the case, and they were being called back to Virginia. They'd wanted to see this through, to find those kids and bring them home, but other cases were stacking up, and with nothing to go on, they had no choice.

They told themselves that they'd come back to it, that they'd find that one clue they were missing. They swore that those boys would all be brought home, that they wouldn't forget...

Reid couldnt look at the others, didnt want to. he knew what those boys were going through, the cruelties that bad men could do upon them. He'd wanted to see this case through. He knew that the others hadnt wanted to go, that he shouldnt be angry with them for following orders, but he was.

Gideon turned to Reid, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Those men will slip up eventually, and as soon as they do, we'll get them." he promised.

"And until them those kids will be suffering." he said bitterly. "If we give up on them, then what hope do they have?"

Gideon shook his head. "We're not giving up." he said softly.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Two weeks had passed since the FBI agents had left. Two weeks since the only real hope they had of getting Drake back had dissapeared. Sure, the local police were still looking into it, but, there was only so much that the San Diago Police could do. They had the same information that the FBI had, and they'd been unable to do anything.

Josh sat alone in his all to empty room, reading the licence plates over and over, memorizing them. He didnt know what else to do. He lets their letters and numbers invade his brain, let them burn their meaningless rabble into his mind. he needed anything to distract him from the pain.

For every day that Drake was gone, he added another cut to his wrist. Spread betewwn to two of them, there were twenty-eight. Twenty-eight ugly reminders that Drake was gone, that he may never be comeing home. Some still bright red, others scabbed, and a few almost completly healed. But all of them a brief reminder of the pain, of the loss he was feeling.

How much longer could he hide them? What would he do when he ran out of room on his arms? He didnt want to think about it. he didnt want to think that Drake would be gone that long. With empty eyes and a heavy heart, he slipped into his work clothes. Taking one last look into his room, he closed his eyes, always wishing that when he opened them, Drake would be there, staring up at him from his guitar. But he never was, might never again...

Meghan waited until Josh was gone to slip into the boys' room. She walked around it slowly, lightly tracing her shaking fingers over everything that reminded her of Drake. His clothes, his guitar... She climbed up into her brothers bed, laying against the pillows, trying to remember him better. It no longer smelt like Drake though, now, it smelt like her mom. She knew that her mom cried in Drake's bed, same as she did, and now, that little bit of him that they'd been clinging to was gone.

She let the tears crawl across her face as she lay there, remembering everything she could. Every smile and laugh, every accusing look after each prank. If she could change anything about the past, just done one simple thing differently, she would have hugged him more. Would have let him be her big brother, and not just the boob that she tormented.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Two weeks had passed since Damien's death. They boys had changed since that day, everything had changed...

They tried not to talk about him, because everytime they did they were filled with an emptiness that left them hurting. They hadnt realized just how much he had meant to them, and now he was gone. His chores had been divided among them, and they did them with empty eyes. The extra work didnt bother them, working was the only thing that kept their minds empty.

Drake tried harder to concentrate on home now. Since their pills had been upped, he found it harder to remember. Their voices, their faces... it was all slipping away from him now. Soon, they would be gone, and so would Damien. He cried as he cleaned the small room with the instruments in it, touching that guitar and remembering the smile on Damien's face as he had played it.

Josh used to listen to him play, to help his band set up... He couldnt even remember what their fight had been about, just that it had been his fault, and he was sorry. He wanted to go back, to fix whatever he had done to hurt josh, to make that last week they'd had together a happy one.

They sat awake at night, their minds fighting to hold onto what little happiness they had left. They were breaking down, all of them. Physically, emotionally, they were weaker now. They knew it, and, they suspected that Brendon knew it to. They were to be examined tomorrow, and each of them dreaded it.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Dr. Stromhill stood in Brendon's office, looking down on him with hard eyes and pressed lips. In the bag hanging loosely at his side rested the next few monthes pills. He cleared his throat before speaking.

"I'll need to see each of them seperatly." He said coldly.

"Yes," Brendon said, stepping away from his desk. "You have full use of each of them, of coarse."

"Of coarse." the Doctor repeated, setting the bag on Brendon's desk. "As my usual method of payment is now gone," he said sharply, referring to Damien. "They lot of them will have to do."

Brendon flinched. He knew the Doctor was angry, but he'd hoped that after a rather nasty exchanged of emails the bitterness would have died down. "They're almost done working for the night, would you like anything to drink before the examinations?"

"Scotch." Dr. Stromhill replied, sitting himself down. "Have you had any trouble since raising their dossages?"

"They were sick for a few days, a bit shaky, but other then that, no." Brendon replied, ringing the bell and signalling Brent to come in. "Two glasses." He ordered.

"Are you feeding them more?" The doctor asked.

"No, their rations have remianed the same."

"Thats part of your problem." the Doctor snapped. "If your going to shove stronger pills down their throats, you need to feed them more." He chuckled. "If things keep up the way they are, you'll loose whats left of your stock, and your investors."

Brendon bit back his words as he took the glasses from brent and filled them. he hated this man, but, without him he lost his only reliable source of medications. "Of coarse." he answered. "And wich of the boys would you like to see first?"

"Might as well start with the newest one." The doctor said, taking a greedy sip from his glass. "Work my way back to Ash. He's always been a difficult one."

Drake was pulled out of the basement as they finished eating. His plate left to the others to clean as he was forced up both sets of stairs to the guest bedroom. Too weak to fight back, he numbed himself to their tight holds on his arms, to the small bruises forming where their fingers dug into the skin. He was stripped down to his underwear and chained to the wall before being left alone, shaking and cold.

The Doctor entered the room shortly after the others left, closing the door and dropping his medical bag to the floor. He was a tall man, in his mid forties with graying brown hair and dim brown hair hidden behind his thrick glasses. He walked over to Drake, looking him over thoughorly before grabbing tools from his bag.

It was almost like a regular check-up. The doctor checked his blood pressure, his respitory rate and guessed his weight. He was very thin, very pale.

"How have you been feeling?" he asked.

Drake didnt want to answer him. Wasnt it obvious how he must feel? "I thought doctors helped people." he said bitterly.

"I'm trying." The doctor said, ignoring Drake's tone.

"Then why don't you tell the police where we are, so we can get real help?"

Dr. Stromhill smacked him. "I happen to be a real doctor, boy, and as I see it you dont need that much aside from a bigger meal and some rest."

"We've been kidnapped!" Drake snapped. "We're kept here like animals, abused..."

"These things happen." The doctor cut in. "It could be much worse."

"How?" Drake scoffed, angry.

"Ive seen what the wrong kind of people can do to a boy your age. You've got it made here."

"I was happy at home." He said, glarring at the doctor. "The wrong kind of people take kids from their homes, use them..." He spit at the doctor. "You are the wrong kind."

Doctor Stromhill took a handkerchief from his pocket, whipping the spit off of his shirt. "You boy, are going to be respect me." he demanded.

"No." Drake snapped back, pulling at his restraints.

The doctor went to the dresser across the room, pulling out a length af cloth and trying it into Drake's mouth. "I've always despised mouthy teenagers.' he said.

He turned Drake around, pressing him against the wall as he began the physical part of his examination. He wasnt gentle, but drake had finally learned to fade away from his body. To make himself completely numb to what was happening.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"They're getting too thin." The doctor said as he whipped the sweat away from his forhead. "They need to eat more, and, I heavily suggest at least one day of rest each week."

"Anything else?" Brendon asked, pouring the doctor another glass of scotch.

Doctor Stromhill sat down, thinking over his next words. "I'd suggest starting over." he said, drinking from his glass. "Sell them off for whatever you can get, and get yourself some new ones."

"Thats rediculous!" Brendon snapped. "I've a perfectly good lot right now."

"Until they end up like the others." Dr. Stromhill snapped. "How many are burried in your yard right now?" He set his glass down, taking a few breathes. "Just think it over Brendon. The three you've got are going to be getting too old anyway, once they hit a certain age they're damn near impossible to sell. Break your routine, bring in a few new ones slowly, and get rid of the three down there."

"I know your upset about Damien, but, suggesting that I undo everything," brendon cut himself off.

"he has nothing to do with it." Dr. Stromhill snarled. "If you keep prostituting them off, one of them is likely to get sick anyway. That would be bad for buisness, for your reputation." He shook his head, calming down. "It is just a suggestion." Dr. Stromhill said, putting his glass down and gathering his medical bag. "have a nice night." he said, letting himself out.

Brendon sat at his desk, thinking over the doctors words. He had a good thing going right now, to change all of it could only cause him trouble. He didnt sell his own collectibles off, they were his. he shared them, and he kept them, that was all. New blood would help buisness, but, he didnt want to risk breaking his cycle. The FBI was already on to them, one mess up could end all of it.


	14. Gaslight

**Disclaimer**: Gasslight and its beautiful lyrics are the property of Emilie Autumn.

**A/N**: this chapter is my longest yet, I cant believe I got so much done. cdomments are appreciated, Soon, things will be winding down.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

_~...__The wheels are turning, broken machinery,  
>it grinds below us and all around I see<br>the crooked ceilings, the old familiar halls,  
>the dirty paper that's covering the walls...~<em>

Drake lay awake that night, counting the images his eyes were tricking him into seeing. In the dim, faded moonlight he swore that the striped paint on the walls was moving, swaying lazily before him. Its sad dance the only thing keeping him present.

He rode the pain in his body as it pulsed through him, accepting it as he tried to move past it. Ash had been right, it did hurt everytime. He could numb himself to it during the act, but afterwords... he had to let it take its course.

He didnt know if Zane and Ash were asleep, but he thought they were. They hadnt moved in what felt like hours, but it couldnt have been that long. They were all tired, all hurting. He envied their ability to sleep right now, because he was so very tired. All he wanted was to be able to drift away into the peace of sleep, to just forget for a few hours.

He had no doubt that the doctor had raped them too, that he had been just as rough. Ash had come back with a large bruise across his cheek and a few more on his arms. He hadnt said much about how he'd gotten them, just that the doctor had said something he didnt like about damien.

_~...The shattered staircase, the bed I'm bleeding in,  
>we've tried to fight this but we can never win...~<em>

He could feel the blood sticking to his legs, drying and cracking away on his skin. It was a familier feeling now, though it still disgusted him. he rolled uncomfortably to his side, cringing at the pain. He extended his arm, lightly tracing the fingertip shaped bruises, feeling the slight sling as he touched them. That pain told him they were real, this was real. He was still alive, still fighting the life he'd been forced into and every hardship it threw at him.

How much longer could he fight it all? How many days were left until he just gave up? Drake didnt know, tried not to answer his own silent questions. If he thought about it too long, then he considered his only means for escape. He planned the plan and considered following through. He cried as he closed his tired eyes.

He didnt want to die, not here, not like this. He wanted to see his mom again, to know that the face he was fighting to remember was the face of the woman whose arms he wanted to be in. He didnt want to be another unmarked grave, a distant memory. But the days since he'd been taken were growing, and any hope he'd once had of going home were dying. The person he'd been was dying, if not dead all ready.

"I dont wanna die..." he whispered, curling up.

They tried so hard, all of them, to keep fighting. They pushed themselves harder each day to fight the call of that soil bed, to keep breathing when all they wanted was peace. The memorys that had once given them joy now taunted them and brought forth tears. because they would never know that joy again, and they were accepting it.

They couldn't win this battle. They would fight until they died, but, eventually, they would die. It was only a matter of time.

~.~.~.~.~

They exited the bathroom that morning to a changed breakfast. Their usual meal had been upgraded, their toast was buttered, two extra potrions of ham lay ontop of a bed of steaming white rice. There were grapes sitting beside their usual orange, and even a tall glass of milk instead of their normal glass of water. To some, it might not seem like much, but to their half starved stomachs it was a feast.

They looked at their full plates with caution before sitting down and greedily scarfing down the food. Though they were hungry, none of them could finish their breakfast. It was too much, and it hurt to try and force it all down. They stared down at the remaining bits of food, their eyes hollow as they tried to eat more. They knew that they wanted it, that a full belly would be a blessing. They forced back tears as the bits they couldnt eat were thrown away.

_~...He takes my picture although I don't know why,  
>his hands are shaking although I see him try<br>to look collected, he thinks it doesn't show...~_

As they were cleaning their morning dishes Brendon came down the stairs, his footsteps echoing against the walls. He ordered each of them one at a time to stand against the wall, where he took a picture of them with a small digital camera.

They were confused as he took their pictures, not saying what it was for. He didnt say another word to them, just turned toward the older boys, nodding as he went back upstairs. They watched him go, nervous of his strange actions.

What had botherd them most was the look on his face. Brendon was always overly sure of himself, completly in control, expecially when dealing with them. But in those moments, that calm was gone from his face, his hands were shaking. He was trying to force a sence of control he didnt feel, and they knew it.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Josh was waiting for his shift to end when a girl from school approached him. He forced a smile, ready to help with whatever she needed. One last order, then he could go home and stop pretending that he was okay.

She walked over to the counter, swinging her hips as she smiled. It wasnt the sweet smile so many girls had, it was tristed up in a way that bothered him. She leaned onto the counter, looking up at him with smoky grey eyes.

"Can I help you?" josh asked.

"You're Drake's brother, right?"

Josh stood, paralyzed. People didnt ask him about Drake, not since that time he'd exploded in anger. He starred at her, eyes narrowing. "Yeah, I'm josh."

She turned to her friend, grinning. "I told you!" She laughed.

Nothing about it was funny to Josh, and he was loosing his patience.

"So," She asked, licking her lips. "Where's your brother?"

His knukles were white. "We don't know." he answered as polightly as he could.

She chuckled. "Well why not?" She stood up, putting her hands on her hips. "You are his brother, shouldnt you know? It's been like a month allready."

"I know..." Josh said, trying to keep calm. Everything about her was bothering him now.

"You must be worried." She said with mock innocence. "I mean, after this long, he's probably dead somewhere."

Josh heard those words and snapped. Everyone had had that thought, but no one had dared say it to him, or his family. They were cruel words, unforgivable. Without warning, he took his allready cleanched fist and swung, hitting her across the face.

"He's not dead!" He shouted.

The girl moved her hand from her face, seeing the blood from her nose and her face tristed into the cruelest look Josh had ever seen. "You asshole!" She shouted. "I hope he is, I hope they never find him!"

Josh was ready to hit her again when Helen ran over, catching his arm and preventing the strike. "What is going on?" She demanded.

"Your employee hit me!" She girl shrieked, holding out her blood covered hand. "I'm bleeding!"

Helen turned to Josh. "josh?"

"She said that Drake was dead." he said, voice cold, but shaking. "She came over here, taunting me about him and said that he was dead."

Helen released Josh's arm, then turned toward the girl. "Get out of my movie theatre." She said, voice hard as stone.

The girl's smirk dissapeared. "What?" She asked. "He hit me, you should fire him."

"I didnt see anything," helen said, stepping forward. "Now get out of my theatre before I call the police."

The girl stared at Helen in disbelief, hands shaking with rage. "I'm telling my dad!" She shouted. "I hope you all get fired!" She screamed before running out of the theatre.

"Helen, I'm sorry..." Josh said, feeling the tension drain.

"Don't worry about it." She said. It was so unlike her to be so easy on him. "And dont you think about what she said, they'll find Drake, alive." She offered a small smile before hardening herself back up. "Now go home." She ordered.

Josh nodded and ran out of the theatre, eyes watering. he didnt want to think about what she'd said. If he thought about it, then it could be real.

Craig and Eric ran out after him, they'd seen the whole thing. "Josh, wait!" They said in almost perfect unison.

He didnt want to stop, he didnt want to talk. he tried to get to his car, but stopped suddenly when craig grabbed his arm. he could feel the scabs on the fresher cuts tear, feel the blood beeding on the skin and soaking through his white sleeves.

"Josh...?" Craig said quietly, looking down at his sleeve in shock.

Josh turned to them, keeping his eyes averted so that they couldnt see his tears and rolled up his sleeves. "One for every day that Drake's been gone." he whispered as they stared in shock.

"Josh..." Eric said, stepping closer and rolling down one of his sleeves. "You shouldnt do this." he didnt know what else to say.

"I know..." josh said. "Wherever he is, I know he's hurting, and its my fault."

Craig shook his head. "its not your fault." He knew that josh had been hurting since Drake had dissapeared, but he shouldnt be blaming himself. "They'll find him, it'll be all right.'

Josh nodded, rolling down his other sleeve. "It's been the only thing that gives me any relief, any sence that everyday is real."

"We're here for you," Erik said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We're your friends."

Josh smiled. They'd been there for him everyday since it happened, never questioning him about what had happened. And now they stood with him, under the street lights, not judging, but still by his side.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

_~...when the guards come to take me away_  
><em>I will be tortured until the break of day.<em>  
><em>He's at the window, he's always looking down<em>  
><em>as we are beaten. How can this fucking town<em>  
><em>not know what's happening to all the little girls?...~<em>

They had just been locked in their cell for the night when Brent and Dustin marched down the stairs, faces hard as they looked at Drake. "You have a visitor." Brent growled as he moved toward their cage.

Drake knew what those words meant, and he didnt want to go. he looked to the others for any sort of help as the fear knotted in his gut. Ash beconed him forward, wrapping a protective arm around him.

"Take this." he whispered, handing Drake the knife he'd stolen from the kitchen the day that Damien had died. He'd kept it hidden under his mattress these last two weeks, nearly forgetting about it.

Drake looked at the shiny blade, nodding in thanks as he hid it in the seem of his pants, hopeing that noone had seen. He didnt know what he'd do with it, but it gave him strength.

"get over here!" Brent demanded, standing st the door.

With shaking legs Drake stepped forward, feeling Brent's rough hands wrap around his upper arm and force him forward. he looked back to his friends as he was pulled away, Zane's worried eyes, and Ash's determined ones. he watched Ash nod, adn the plan started to form.

He was taken straight to the guest bedroom, shoved inside so had that he stumbled and fell to his knees. Drake ignored the laughter from Brent and Dustin as he looked up at the man who had come for him. It was Zack.

"Wait outside." Zack barked at the others, smiling as he looked down at Drake. "Get undressed, and get on the bed."

Slowly, Drake removed everything except his boxers, hiding the knife in the pile and sitting on the endge of the bed. He knew what he wanted to do, but he was afriad to do it. He'd never really hurt anyone.

He didnt move as Zack took the rope from the dresser and tied his wrists together in front of him. Nor as he tied the cloth into his mouth. he was concentrating.

"Word is," Zack said as he began unbottoning his shirt. "That brendon is thinking about selling all of you off. I've already made him a rather nice offer for you." Zack said as he sat next to Drake, placing his hand on his knee. "I have a nice little cabin where i could keep you, hidden and ready." he chuckled.

He pushed Drake back, climbing on top of him. "I could have you everyday..." he whispered as he ground his hips against Drake's. "For the rest of your short life."

He scratched his jagged nails over Drake's chest, watching the skin as it turned red and bled in places. the blood soaked into his sleeves in small dropletts, bright against the white. Bit down on his sides until he drew blood, liking it up as he smiled. "I would pay handsomely to keep you." He taunted.

Drake stared at the ceiling, trying to will away the pain. The tears were crawling out from his eyes, though he refused to actually cry. He didnt want to go anywhere with this man, didnt want to leave his friends and be tortured until he died.

"Look at me!" Zack demanded, grabbing Drake by the chin and forcing his eyes away from the ceiling.

When Drake saw the look in Zack's eyes, his blood on his lips, he paniced. He wouldn't let this happen, not again. With all of his strength, he pushed Zack away, catching him off guard he sent him tumbling to the floor. As quickly as he could, he rolled off of the bed, thrussting his bound hands into his discarded pile of clothes and pulling out the knife. He quickly cut the gag from his mouth, then held the blade as securly as he could.

"Where'd you get that?" Zack asked mockingly as he looked at the blade in Drake's hands.

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Drake spit, trying to be strong.

"Get over here!" Zack demanded. "I've payed for you, you do what i say."

"No!" Drake yelled.

Zack moved toward him and he closed his eyes, forcing the knife forward deffencivly. He felt it stop, felt it slowly move forward and he opened his eyes. He let go of the blade as his hands shook, watching it as t stayed nestled in Zack's side.

"You stupid whore." Zack yelled. He hit Drake aross the face, knocking him backwards. He moved toward the lightswitch, hitting the small button beside it and laughed as a wave of electricity coarsed through Drake's body from the collar he wore.

The scream ripped from his lungs as the shock traveled through his body. he'd never been electacuted before, it hurt. Zack pulled the knife from his side, cringing at the pain. It hadnt gone in too deep, but it was still bleeding. He knelt beside Drake, rage burning in his eyes. "So you want to play with knives?" He asked dangerously.

Drake shook his head. He didnt want to be hurt, and pain was the only thing he saw in Zack's gaze. he felt the knife slowly push into his side and he screamed. Not too deep, because Zack didnt want to kill him, but deep enough. He felt the blood fall from his skin, soaking into the carpet and zack's shirt.

The door burst open, Brent and Dustin looking down at them with shocked eyes. Brent pulled Zack off of Drake, the knife dragging out as he did. Drake screamed again, curling on his side as he tried to hide from all the people who meant to hurt him.

"get off of me." Zack snarled, pulling away. He grabbed his coat, looking down at Drake in disgust and stormed out of the room.

"Tie him up, we'll deal with him later." Brent ordered Dustin as he followed Zack out to Brendon's office.

Dustin forced Drake onto the bed, tying his all ready bound wrists to the headboard Before gagging him and following after the others.

Zack burst into Brendon's office, eyes blazing as he stormed across the room. "That little whore stabbed me." He shouted. :I want my money for tonight, I didnt get what i came here for." he demanded.

"He stabbed you?" brendon asked, standing up and fumbaling for the check Zack had given him. "How?"

"He had a knife, hidden in his clothes." Zack snapped, grabbing the check away from Brendon. "You're loosing control here brendon, and dont think the others wont hear about this!" Zack said, cringing as his side throbbed. "If you do decide to sell them, I want that one." he said through gritted teeth. "I'll make him wish he'd never been born."

"I'm sorry Zack." brendon said, hiding the anger building within himself. "He will be punished."

Zack scoffed. "He'd better be." Zack said before turning toward the door.

Brendon turned angrily to Brent and Dustin. "Where is he?"

"Still in the guest room." Brent answered.

Brendon pushed past them, moving toward the guest room angrily as the others followed. "Dustin, get Richard and benny, now!" He shouted.

Drake looked up with wie eyes as Brendon burst into the room, as he looked at the blood on the floor and the knife beside it. He walked over toward Drake, ripping the gag out from his mouth. "What the hell did you think you were doing?" he demanded.

Drake tried to look as mean as possible as he starred back. "Protecting myself."

"Where did you get the knife?" Brendon demanded.

He wouldnt tell them that Ash gave it to him, so he lied. i took it from the kitchen, when no one was looking."

"You've caused a lot of trouble tonight." brendon said, his voice cold. "For that, you will be punished. You didnt want to fulfill your dooty to Zack, then they will tae it from you." He said, pointing to brent and the others, who had just arrived.

Drake didnt want to look at the cruel smiles on their faces as they looked at him. "No, please..." he begged, pulling at the ropes holding him down.

Brendon didnt look at him as he pleaded. "Gag him." he said to brent. "I dont want to hear it, after that put him back with the others."

Brendon left the room without another word, leaving Drake alone with the four of them as they looked down upon him. Brent grabbed a large rubber ballgag from the dresser, forcing it into drake's mouth as he begged them not to. they laughed at his muffled cries as one by one they decended upon him.

It didnt matter how hard he screamed, how much he begged, they didnt stop.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Brendon sat at his computer, looking at the photos of the boys he'd taken that morning. he had a buyer for Drake allready. he knew that Zack would probably kill him, but, he was willing to pay alot for the boy. he hadnt wanted to sell them off, to have to start over, but, tonights incident had left him little choice. this lot was out of control.

He poured himself anouther drink as the muffled screams quietly made their way through the house. how he hated that sound. Punishment earned was punishment given. He moved toward the large window, looking out over his yard. All these years, and not a problem he couldn't handle. he shook his head. He was amazed that he'd never been caught, no one suspected. Not the morons he worked with, not the mailman or anyone else.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

_~...And in the gaslight that brings both life and death_  
><em>if it's like the last night this could be my last breath.<em>  
><em>And so I hold tight to any hand I see<em>  
><em>but nothing's alright, they're always watching me.<em>  
><em>And no one's coming, coming to take me home...~<em>

Drake was dragged down the basement stairs and thrown into his cell, where Zane and Ash quickly moved toward him. They glarred at the men who'd brought him down, who laughed as they walked away. They knew those smiles, they knew what they'd done to Drake.

Zane held drake as he cried, as the cut in his side continued to bleed. He did everything he could to comfort him as Ash tore his shirt to make a tourniquet. Gently, he wrapped it around Drake's bruised abdomen, applying enough pressure to stop the bleeding.

"This is my fault..." he said heavily.

Drake grasped his hand, squeezing it tightly. "No its not." he said between heavy breathes. "I got Zack," He tried to smile. "I made him hurt this time."

Ash offered a small smile. "Good job." He said, though he didnt know if the ends had justified the means. Drake had gotten a small bit of revenge, but, what those monsters had surly done to him might not have been worth it.

"Are you okay?" Zane asked as Drake pulled away, still holding Ask's hand tightly.

"Enough..." he said, looking toward their small barred window.

He didnt have the heart to tell them right now, that they would all be seperated, that things were going to get worse. He knew now what he had tried to deny all this time. They were never going home, they wouldn't be rescued. He would never see his family again, and, if Zack came back for him, he was sure that his 'short life' would be much shorter.

"Just try to sleep." Ash said, seeing that Drake had a lot on his mind. He was hiding something. 'We'll get through this, you'll get through this." he tried to sound as kind as possible, because he knew that Drake was hurting. When Brent and his goons hurt someone, they really hurt them. He knew what they did to slaves who angered Brendon, and he was sure that brendon was furious.

They helped Drake lay down, sat by his side as he tried to stop the sobs from breaking free. In silence they protected him untill he gave into exhaustion.

_"...At least I'm breathing, at least I have my wits_  
><em>but when the cart comes,<em>  
><em>who's buried in the pits?<em>  
><em>Below my window, I hear a horse go by<em>  
><em>and in the next cell an inmate starts to cry..."<em>

Ash didnt sleep that night. He sat in damien's bed, starring out their window though there wasnt much to see. He knew that they couldnt keep going on like this, that they were all breaking 'd felt it since Damien died, and even he was getting too tired to keep fighting.

They'd all had enough, been hurt too many times. Sometimes, he wondered if it was even worth it to keep trying. After two years, he'd given up hope of ever going home. He couldnt even remember it now.

He turned as he heard Drake moving, as he struggled to sit up. he faught back tears as he stumbled over to the window, pressing his hands against the glass. "We're not going home." he whispered.

Ash got out of bed, standing beside him. "I dont think so." he said quietly.

"Zack said Brendon is going to sell us, we'll be seperated." Drake said, voice hoarse.

Ash set his eyes to the bit of moonlight he could see staring into it. "I wont let that happen."

He didnt think he could stop it from happening, but, he was going to try. Anything was better then doing nothing. If they didnt stay together, then they would all surly die. he wouldnt let them all end up like Damien, he wouldnt break his promise.

_~..We try our best though to quiet down the fuss._  
><em>We know tomorrow it could be one of us..."<em>


	15. Reflections

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Drake and Josh, or criminal minds.

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Zack pulled into the hospital parking lot, fists clenched around the stering wheel. He wasn't happy, He'd all ready been having a rough week, tonight was suppossed to be his escape, a bit of relief. He was seething with anger. That little whore had fought back, that's not what whores did. He'd never felt so insulted!

He parked his car, pulling the keys out of the ignition he lightly touched the bloody gash in his side. It hurt, and he knew that stiches were needed. Collecting himself, he entered the front doors, faking a limp and approaching the counter. Obviously, he couldn't tell them the truth about the stab wound, so, he'd pretend he'd been mugged. It was simple, and would allow for him to get the medical attention he needed without too many questions.

"I've been stabbed." He gasped, holding onto his side. "I think I need stiches."

The entire experience annoyed him. The nurse didnt think he was hurt enough, so he had to wait with the other people expecting medical attention. He despised every one of them. All poor, sniveling under class whiners. If he'd dared go to his own doctor, he could have been home by now!

By the time he was finally in his own room, having his wound attended to he was frustrated and harboring rage.

"Do you want to file a police report?" the doctor asked, inspecting the wound.

"No." he snapped, cringing as the doctor touched the wound with his gloved hand. "Just patch it up."

The doctor ignored Zack's rudeness and prepped the needle to numb the area around the wound. He put it in, ignoring Zack's curses as he injected the fluid. "I'll begin the stiches in just a few minutes." he said, handing Zack a clean white tee-shirt.

Zack jerked the tee-shirt out of the doctor's hands, rolling his eyes at it before discarding his own, nicer shirt.

"We'll send your shirt to the police, they may be able to identify your attacker if his DNA is on it." One of the shorter nurses said.

Zack wasn't actually listening to her. "Whatever." he scoffed as he turned his attention to his numbing wound. He just wanted to get out of the place.

he watched as the doctor pulled the needle through his flesh, closing the wound. He'd have his revenge, and he'd have his prize.

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The morning light was dim as it shone thorugh their little window. The clouds were heavy in the sky and rain was sure to come with them. The boys were woken, and lead to the bathroom for their morning routine. They showered and groomed themselves as they normally did, having little to say. A lot had happened last night and they were all still thinking about it.

Drake stared at himself for long minutes that morning, seeing the changes that had slowly overtaken his body. He was so pale now, like he he hadn't seen the sun in ages. truth be told, since coming here he'd been aloud outside only twice. He couldn't remember what it was like to just go out, to feel the sun on his skin. He'd taken that feeling for granted in his old life, only in this life did he appreciate what it had been like.

He'd always been thin, but now, well, he was sure the girls at school would have killed to be so tiny. he could see the outline of his ribs, could feel them trying to break free with every breath. He was covered in bruises from last night, where they'd hit him, where they'd pressed down on him to keep him still.

He hated his reflection, and everything that it said about the creature he'd become. It's story was an aweful one. A nightmare that dreams would shutter from. He'd never hated himself, not really, but now...

His eyes fell upon the gash in his side, and for a brief moment, he felt satisfied. At least that once, he'd faught back, for just a few secounds he'd been in control. He'd payed dearly for it, but at least he had tried. He touched the wound, watching as is tore and bled.

"It'll get infected." zane said, stepping forward and placing his hand over it. "You need to bandage it up, I can help."

Drake shook his head. "I can do it this time.' he said softly as he took the limited medical supplies they had and dressed the wound. It was going to leave a hell of a scar.

Brendon was waiting for them when they stepped out for breakfest. he stood before them, perfectly compossed, watching them as they carefully went to their plates. Though they wanted nothing more that to eat, they waited, watching him as he looked down upon them.. Finally, he cleared his throat.

"I've news for you." he said, his voice hard. "You're all going to be sold. I have been very displeased with the lot of you, and, I will not tolerate the negativity you've brought to my home, and my buisness."

Ash scoffed, glaring at brendon. He didnt care about being punished anymore. He'd imagined what belonging to a singular person would be like, he understood the hell they were looking at.

"Something to say, Ash?" brendon said, stepping forward. "I've had more trouble with you over the last few years then any other I've brought in."

"That'll happen when you kidnap someone and force them into prostitution." Ash snapped. "We are people."

"You were people." brendon corrected him, controlling his anger. "And as long as your still here, you will remember your manners."

Angry, Ash stood from his chair, white knukled fists on the table. "We're still people, sir." he spit. "We didnt just stop being human because you wanted us too. Damien didnt stop feeling just because you put a collar on him and let your friends play with him!"

Brendon stormed forward, smacking Ash across the face with his full strength.

Ash felt the blood dripping from his lip. tasted it on his tongue. He let the flavor set in before spitting it back at Brendon, hitting his expensive shirt. "I'm not afraid of you." Ash said, voice dangerous. "I may not have the strength to take you down, but, all of this will crumble, and when your perfect little world falls apart, I'll be there, laughing as you cling to its broken pieces."

Brendon stared at him with hate filled eyes and snapped his fingers. Ash didnt try to fight back as Brent and Richard grabbed him and forced him against the wall. He didnt plead as the back of his shirt was cut open so that he would feel the full force of the lashes when brendon hit him.

He didnt cry out as the strikes fell, instead, he laughed. He wanted brendon to see, to hear his failure. He didnt care how much it hurt, how badly he wanted to scream. When he looked back on this moment, he wanted to know that he'd held the power. He may have been recieving the lashes, but, he was also dealing them out. He'd lost too much, and he refused to lose anymore.

"Put them all to work in the graveyard." Brendon snapped, the sweat dripping over his face. "Without breakfest." He moved toward the basement stairs, the whip still clenched in his hands. "You all need time to reflect and the lives you've had here, on what your loosing when your new masters come to collect you. Stare into the nameless reminders of those who died, and see the futures you've brought upon yourselves."

Ash turned his hardened eyes toward brendon, glarring despite the pain. "Our futures will have more meaning then yours."

Brent hit him, knocking him onto the floor. "get them ouside." He ordered, grabbing ash by the back of the neck and forcing him to hit feet.

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They sat under the dying sunlight as the clouds swallowed its rays, breathing in the scents of comeing rain. Chained as they were, they were free. Outside those suffocating walls, they were human again. They sat together in the grass around Damien's stone, knowing it only because it had not been there before. They let their fingers run across the rough concrete, felt the skin scrape against it.

The grass waved against their bare feet as the wind bellowed softly across the yard, yawning as the oncoming storm awakened. They had little to say as they each said their silent words to their fallen friend. Taking strength from the heavy stone that marked his grave, from the earth that kept it standing. Though his body was gone, the person he'd been was still there with them. Those pills could push his face from their minds, but they would never kill his memory.

"Sorry i made you guys miss breakfest." Ash finally spoke, breaking their silence.

"It's okay." Drake said, breathing in the air. "are you okay?"

Ash took a moment before answering. "Yeah," he said, streching and feeling the cuts groan in protest. "When i look back on today, I'm going to remember strength. Finally really standing up to them. Like you did last night with Zack. I dont want my last days to be spent cowering." He smiled softly, falling back into the grass and letting it move against his skin.

Ash closed his eyes, remembering as best he could. he'd forgotten his family, the friends he'd used to have. But Damien, he would always remeber. Zane and Drake too. They were like brothers in this place, they stood and bled together. No matter what happened, he would hold on to their memories, because, they were all he had.

Drake leaned back into the grass, letting it caress his hurting skin. He didnt care that it made him ichy, that it was cold. He wanted this moment to last, this brief time when they were all together, as carefree as their situation would allow. Right now they were breathing, and for the most part, they were okay. They had each other. He didnt know what the comeing days held for them, and honestly, he was afraid. But here beside the stones of those who had fallen, in the arms of the willow tree, he felt safe. It was a feeling he never wanted to lose.

"What do you think will happen to us?" Zane asked, resting his head against Damien's stone.

Ash sighed, he'd all ready thought about this. "We'll be seperated. Sold off to whichever pervert is willing to spend the most. After that..." He rolled over, hiding his tears in the ground. "it'll be like one of Brendon's party nights, every night."

Drake pushed himself up, wrapping his sore arms around his knees. "I'm afriad." he whispered, the wind taking his words away.

Ash and Zane moved toward him, sitting beside him. They knew what he was feeling, because they felt it too. Once they were gone from this place, they'd be alone. The will to fight would be beaten out of them, and, after that, reflecting on their time together would be all they had.

"Just hold on to what we have now." Ash said, looking at damien's stone. he would have had the perfect words, but his words were gone now. "In the end, we'll all be together."

"Together forever." Zane smiled. "United by hardship and blood. We've held out this long because we weren't alone through it. We've sacrificed ourselves to defend each other, and when its all over, when the evil has been brought to an end, we'll stand togerher."

"Laughing as it crumbles." Ash said.

"Side by side, we'll be there. Not running away anymore." Drake added, breathing deeply.

They felt those first drops of rain on their pale skin and shivered, though not from the cold. They let those sprinkled dropletts fall over them, let it wash away their fear for the future. All that mattered was now, the friendship that kept them going. They may never go home, but, within each other, they'd made a new home. They laughed as the rain soaked through their clothes, as the others marched in agrivation across the yard in thin ponchos to collect them.

They took a final look at Damien's stone, seeing their reflections in the raindrops resting upon it. Deep within themselves they saw Him, living on through them. they wouldn't let him die, not completly. They smiled in the dark faces of their abusers, in the face of fate as they were unchained from the tree and dragged across the lawn. They had each other, through all of it, and that was all that mattered. The thunder roared behind them, giving strength to their laughter as they were forced in from the storm.

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Reid was sitting alone at his desk, looking over everything they had on the missing california boys case. He knew that if he just looked hard enough, he'd find something. Ever since the case had started, he'd been remembering everything that had happened to him. He knew what men like Sanders were like, and he was determined to find them, to save them.

Their captors were only human, and humans made mistakes. They just had to find them and trace them back to the monsters who had those kids. he didnt care how long it took.

He'd never really found closure for what had happened to him, never finished getting over it. Maybe, it was because he was meant to find these kids, to save them from a darkness that he'd known. if he could do that, then, maybe he would be okay. He'd finally be able to put his own memories, his demons, to rest.

he was ready to stop for the night when Garcia burst into the bullpen, her eyes shaking as she hurried to his side. "They found something!" She smiled tirdly. "A man went to the hospital in Santa Clarita claiming to have been mugged, they took his shirt, it had blood on it."

"So?" reid asked, not knowing where she was going with this. He was tired.

"So, genius," She teased. "The blood on his shirt, matched one of the missing boys from California. We have a lead!" She exclaimed.

She knew what this case meant to Reid, and she'd been looking through the missing person reports for the last few weeks, trying to find anything she could. They had something now, and she knew that niether of them would be stopped from finally seeing this through.

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**A/N**: This isnt one of my longer chapters, but, for me at least, it was a powerful one. The cemetary seen meant alot to me while writing it, and, I hope it sticks out to all of you.


	16. At nightmares end

**A/N:** This fic was originally supossed to be only fifteen chapters long. Id intended it to be short, but, its taken away with me. Theres still a lot I want to do with it, and, a lot I wish I'd remembered to do with the previous chapters. Its been crazy, but, I'm proad of it, and, I'm grateful for those of you who spare the time to read it, and the select handful of you that leave me reviews because what I've done has entertained, or meant something to you. thanks guys.

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The members of the BAU wasted no time in requesting the arrest warrent for Zack Hanes and flying down to Santa Clarita. This was their first serious lead, and they werent going to let it slip through their fingers. He'd had Drake's blood on his shirt, he knew where he was. They only hoped that the kid was still alive, that if they found him, they'd find the others.

Reid was sitting against the window on the jet, letting the cool glass relax his very tense self. He was worried, what if they were too late? What if Zack wouldn't talk? He tried to push the bad thoughts away, to focus on the bit of hope that had shone in on this case.

Gideon made his way over to Reid, sitting next to him. "We'll find them." He said, confidently.

"I know." Reid said, though he wasnt sure. He wanted to belive in Gideon's confidence, he always had before.

"As soon as we land we're heading straight to the police station. They should have him in custody by then. We have real evidence, the guy will talk."

"what if he killed him?" Reid asked weakly.

"Then he wouldnt have made the mistake of giving over that shirt." Gideon replied.

They entered the Santa Clarita police station, their faces set and minds determined. They would get their answers, they didnt care what it took. They approached the Chief of police, standing politly as Gideon introduced them and shook his hand.

"Has he said anything yet?" Gideon asked.

"Not to us. He's already called in his lawyer, he hasnt shown up yet." The chief of police said.

"I'd like to see him now." Gideon said politly.

"of course." The chief said, leading them to the interrogation room.

Zack looked up in irritation as the door opened. He was angry, there was no hiding it. Angery at being so careless, at the conditions he was here under. He watched the FBI agents walk into the room, their disgust plain on their faces as they sat across from him. Where the hell was his lawyer?

"Zack Hanes, Im Agent Gideon, this is Agent Hotchner." Gideon said, resting his hands on the table as he starred Zack in the eye.

"I don't care who you are." Zack spat.

Gideon ignored the disrespect. "Where's Drake parker?" he asked.

"I know where part of him is." Zack sneered, looking at his old shirt in its evidence bag. "Fucking whore."

Gideon forced himself to remain calm. It was obvious that Zack thought very highly of himself. "Where's the rest of him?"

"Does it matter?" Zack asked. "I wont be seeing him anytime soon, where he ends up doesnt matter to me."

"It matters to us. Your in a lot of trouble right now, cooperating is your best choice right now."

"What's in it for me?" Zack asked sarcastically. "I tell you what you want to know, and then i'm left to rot, looking like one of the bad guys."

_You are one of the bad guys_. Gideon thought as he sighed. "The judge is a little bit kinder to people who help with the investigation." he said, being vague. he didnt want this pervert to get a lighter sentence, but he could see that Zack wouldnt talk otherwise.

"I want a deal, like on television." Zack said, and i dont want to be in the same Prison as the reat of them. If I help you, they'll find out."

"We can do that, but you need to tell us where he is, if he's alive." Gideon said, looking to the bloodied shirt.

"Oh, he's alive." Zack smirked. "I was going to buy him for myself, even after the little whore stabbed me. He's a pretty one, has a great _voice_."

"Where is he?" gideon asked again.

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Drake was in the foyer, doing again what he felt like he'd always done. How many times had he cleaned this room? He didnt think it'd ever actually been dirty, yet here he was, cleaning it again. He'd smelt these chemicals so many times, he knew them by scent. He knew every minor scratch on the wood, where each flaw in the paint was hiding. He was sure that he could clean this room with his eyes closed.

He was washing the windows when he saw the cars speeding down the road, lights flashing against the sunlight. He was sure that he was hallucinating as he watched them comeing closer, turning down into the long driveway. He was so lost in what those flashing lights meant that he didnt hear Richard come up behind him, didnt know that he was there until he'd been grabbed roughly by the arm.

"What's going on?" he asked, answered only by a smack. He let the taste of blood settle on his tongue as the chain around he ankle was unlocked.

"get downstairs." Richard barked, forceing him away from the window and towards the basement door.

He tried to pull away from Richard, to go back to the window. Those were police cars, this was their one chance... Richard hit him again, dazing him long enough to drag his across the room and toward the now open door. Zane and Ash were being lead toward the stairs too, their eyes lighting up as they saw what drake was looking at outside.

Brendon had stormed down the stairs, looking towards the front door in utter anger. "Get them downstairs now!" he yelled.

The boys were forced down the stairs in a chaotic hustle, more then once they'd almosh fallen over each other, nearly went crashing toward the floor. They were forced into their cell, each of them pressed against the bars a few feet away from the other and forced to sit on the cold floor. They were held there, hands forced through the bars and behind their backs as Brendon snapped the handcuffs over their thin wrists.

"Gag them." he ordered Brent. "The rest of you, upstairs to your room." he wasnt going to risk a single one of them out in the open. He didnt know why the police were here, but he wasnt stupid either. They knew, he knew that they did.

Brent went to work quickly, one at a time he forced a large wad of cloth into each boys mouth before securing it with another length of cloth tied around their heads. He walked out of their cell, stopping only to make sure the handcuffs on each of them were tightly secured before shutting off the light and hurrying upstairs.

The boys pulled at their bound wrists, knowing that this was their only chance to be rescued. they'd all been so close to giving in to fate, to just accepting what they had been told was going to happen that hope had slipped away. They tried to yell, but their voices were muffled, barly loud enough to echo against the heavy walls. They refused to give up, to let this moment slip by them. They wanted to go home.

Brent rushed around the foyer, trying to pick up all of the cleaning supplies and get them out of sight. He knew what police meant, they would come in, and, if they knew what was going on, they'd take them away. When he had been younger, he'd dreamed of that, but now... He was very used to this life, he'd grown into it. He was the most trusted slave in the house, the first person brendon turned to when somthing needed to be done. He didnt know how to survive in the world outside, he didnt want to try.

he moved everything to the supply room and ran back into the foyer, panting as he approached Brendon. "Sir?" He asked, waiting for his orders.

"Go back downstairs, keep them quiet." brendon said, almost fondly.

"Yes sir." Brent replied, heading toward the basement and shutting the door as he decended the stairs.

He rushed down them in the dim light, not bothering to flip the switch on. He moved toward the boys, all of whom were pulling at the handcuffs, trying to break free. "be quiet." he ordered, entering their cell and glarring at them.

Ash tried to insult him, he was punched across the jaw. He glarred at Brent, pulling until he felt the skin around his wrist break. He could feel the blood on his palms, and he didnt care. He'd told himself that he would do anything to get them out of this. He'd promised them that he wouldn't let them be seperated and hurt. He'd promised Damien that he'd tell his sister he loved her. he wasnt going to back down, not now.

Ash continued to try and yell, the others followed his lead. They screamed as loud as they could, not caring that their voices were trapped behind that heavy basement door. They werent going to give up.

"Shut up!" brent's voice boomed as he stepped out of the cell, grabbing a flogger and moving back in front of them. "I will hit you." he threatened.

Ash let out a muffled laugh as he starred into brent's eyes. Daring him. Angry, Brent swung, hitting Ash in the face. One of the straps cut him, a long streak across his eye from eyebrow to cheek. Ash gritted hit teeth against the pain, never letting his determination fade.

Brent stepped toward Drake, kneeling over him and wrapping his hands around his throat. "be quiet, or i will kill him." He said dangerously, tightening his hold as Drake struggled in his grasp.

Ash and Zane both stopped yelling, watching carefully as brent kept his grip on Drake. They wouldnt risk his life, and the look in Brent's eyes told them that he was serious.

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Brendon took a moment to compose himself before walking toward the door. he could see the agents nearing his front steps and it took everything he had to clear the look of anger from his face. He opened the door just before they knocked, staring at them with empty eyes.

"Can i help you?" he asked, trying to sound confused.

"Brendon Montgomery?"

"Yes, and who are you?"

"Special agent Jason Gideon, FBI. You're under arrest, and we have a warrent to search your house." Gideon said, presenting the warrent.

"Under arrest? For what?" Brendon asked, pretending he'd done nothing wrong.

"The kidnapping of at least sixteen teenagers and the prostitution ring your running through your house." Gideon said, not bothering to hide his disgust as he grabbed brendon and forced him againth the wall. "Find the kids." he said to the others as he pulled out a pair of handcuffs.

They knew. He wasn't sure how they'd found out, right now he didnt care. Everything he'd worked for, all of it was slipping away faster then he could track. His home, his buisness. The life he'd so carefully sculpted and protected was falling apart.

"Stay out of my house!" he yelled as the anger tore through him.

"Where are they?" Hotch demanded, eyes hard.

"Go to hell." Brendon snarled, spitting at Hotch's feet.

"Get him out of here." gideon spat, handing Brendon off to one of the local police.

The team entered the house, stopping for only a secound as they observed the surroundings. They were sure that there was more money invested in the foyer alone then they had in their own homes. They knew where the money to craft it had come from, and it sickened them.

"Hotch, Elle, you check upstairs." Gideon said, looking toward the stairs. "Morgan and Reid, find the basement and search it. JJ, hep me check this floor."

They all nodded, seperating as they began their search. Every room had a chain attached to the wall, and it sent chills down their spines. They'd seen chains like that in Sander's place, when they'd rescued Reid...

How much had these kids suffered to pay for the elaborate decorations throughout this house? They didnt want to think about it. This house, as beautiful as it may be, would haunt their memories. It was paved on a road of blood and torture.

Hotch and Elle went from room to room of the upstairs, their stomachs turning at almost every one. They found the entertainment room, the cages glimmering against the afternoon sunlight, the chains and whips hanging from the walls. The guest room, blood still soaked into the carpet... When they finally found the boys room, after Hotch had kicked in the locked door, they starred in shock at the three larger boys standing in the middle of the room.

"Are you okay?" Elle asked, stepping toward them carefully.

"Who are you?" Benny asked, looking at them cautiously.

"We're here to take you home." Hotch said.

"This is our home." Richard said.

"We're going to take you back to your familes." Elle said gently, seeing how wary they were.

"We don't have families." benny said.

These werent any of the sixteen boys they'd read files for, their faces didnt match any of the photos they'd studied. They didnt know who these boys were.

"Who are you guys?" Hotch asked.

"We run things for Brendon, we control the slaves." Dustin said, smiling.

Hotch looked over to Elle, unsure of how to handle this bunch. They were collared and locked up, it was obvious that they were slaves here, but they werent the ones they'd come to rescue. They were intimidating, but they were captives all the same.

"What do you mean?" Elle asked cautiously, ready to pull her gun if she needed it.

"We keep the lesser slaves in line," Richard said. "We make sure they do their chores, if we control them, then we arnt beaten."

"When they're bad, we punish them." dustin grinned. "We're the good ones."

Hotch looked toward Elle, nodding. Until they knew what was going on, these three were leaving in handcuffs.

Gideon and JJ entered Brendon's office, starring at the painting on the walls. they were all made by very sad boys, each brushstroke radiated pain, reflected suffering. They turned away from them, moving toward the desk and looking through the papers hidden there. In a black leather journal, JJ found records of every transaction Brendon had made, every dollar he'd earned from every pervert who'd payed him to 'visit' each of the boys. On the front page a list of the pills and dosages the boys were on.

"He's kept records of all of it..." She said quietly, hands shaking. "The names of everyone he's lent them out to... how much they payed him..." She said in disgust.

Gideon took the book, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We'll get them all." he said. He opened the top drawer, finding Brendon's spare ring of keys and taking it. "See what else you can find here." he said, hateing to leave her to search these papers. He could only imagine the horros written on their pages.

Morgan and Reid stood before the set of doors standing together, staring at them. The first one they opened was the isolation room, they stared into that small closet in disgust. Seeing the chains handing from the ceiling, the other _tools_ within it used to subdue and quiet whom ever was locked inside. Reid shuddered, pushing back the memories as he stepped away from the room, opening the basement door.

Brent heard the door open and stepped away from Drake, chuckling as he shuddered and tried to move away from him. he was sure that it was Brendon, comeing to tell him that things had been settled. he moved toward the cell door, starring in disbelief as the FBI agents descended the stairs.

It didnt take Morgan long to spot Brent standing there, glarring at them, or to see the three boys handcuffed to the bars of the cell. Within seconds his face hardened and he was at the bottom of the stairs, forcing brent against the wall and locking his arm behind his back.

"Who are you?" he demanded, watching as Reid ran toward the boys.

Reid entered the dark cell, pulling the cord to the lightbulb and quickly moving to pull the gags from the boys mouths. He saw the fresh cut on Ash's face, the bruses on their arms, the red handprints on drake's neck.

"Who are you?" Ash asked, pulling at the handcuffs still holding him down.

"Agent Spencer Reid. he said. "Were gonna get you out of here." He looked toward Morgan, eyes desperate. "We need the keys."

"Where are the keys?" morgan demanded.

"brendon has them." Brent said, his mind panicing. "Where is he, where's the master?"

"Master?" Morgan said, his grip lossening, though not enough for Brent to break his hold.

"The man who bought us." brent said, trying to break free. "What did you do to him?"

"He's been arrested. Are you a prisoner here too?" Morgan asked.

brent scoffed. "I'm not the lowly slave they are. I lead the others, I enforce Brendon's rules."

Morgan turned to Ried. "Get Gideon, and get those keys."

Reid nodded, running toward the sairs. The moment he saw Gideon he was at his side. "We found three of them, their handcuffed downstairs, we need the keys."

Hotch was leading the other three down the stairs, looking at reid and Gideon. "The others are in the basement." he said.

"i know." Reid said, hands shaking.

"Who are they?" gideon asked, looking at Richard, Benny and Dustin.

Hotch told Gideon everything that they had told him, waiting for a command on what to do with them. He didnt know whether he should treat them like the bad guys, or the victims.

"take them to the police car." Gideon said. He needed time to think.

"We cant go outside the lines." Richard said, eyes widening. "If we cross the lines, we'll be shocked."

"What?" Elle asked.

"The collars." benny said. "If we go out the front door, we get hurt."

Gideon moved toward them, fumbling with the keys in his hands until he found the one he needed. They'd had those collars on for so long that breathing seemed harder without them. They watched as the collars fell to the floor, their clatter echoing against the walls.

"Get them outside." gideon said, following Reid to the basement.

Gideon spared only a mment to look at morgan, to see that he had brent firmly in his grasp before rushing toward the handcuffed boys. "Are you boys okay?" he asked, trying each of the smaller keys until he found the right one. One by one, he uncuffed them, watching as they pulled their wrists through the bars and began rubbing the circulation back into them.

"Are you here to take us home?" Zane asked, eyes pleading as he watched gideon stare at them.

"yes." Gideon offered a smile, finding the collar key and moving toward the boys. "Lets get those collars off of you." he said gently.

"What about this one?" Morgan asked.

"Take him to the ploice car." gideon said harshly as he handed the keys to Reid so that Morgan could remove the collar.

He looked at the three of them as they stood together, they were different them the photos he'd studied. Pale, thin, it was obvious that they had suffered greatly while being here. He looked around their cell, seeing the mass of empty beds, then turned his attention back to them. "There were other boys, taken like all of you, are they here?" he asked.

Ash stepped forward, looking over gideon carefully before letting his guard drop. "Outside, we can show you." he said quietly.

Gideon and Reid followed the three of them through the house, out the back door and across the yard. Their hearts beat faster as they saw what the boys were walking towards, what lay hidden behind the willow trees branches.

Ash walked toward Damien's stone, falling to his knees in front of it. He placed his hand against it, not caring if the agents saw his tears. "They're here." he said, looking toward the unmarked stones.

In that moment he knew that he would never see Damien's stone again, would have no ther chance to say goodbye to his closest friend. His sorrow turned to anger as he pulled himself to his feet, legs shaking as he stormed toward gideon, hitting him on the chest as hard as he could.

"Why didnt you come sooner?' he demanded through his tears. "If you'd have come sooner, Damien would still be here!" He closed his eyes, falling to his knees. They werent really to blame for Damien's death, he knew that. But right now, in this moment of pain and relief, he needed someone to blame.

"Im sorry." Gideon said, kneeling down and placing a hand on Ash's shoulder. "Let's get you out of here."

They walked with the boys across the lawn, watching them hesitate as they crossed the lines where the invisable fence lay. They rounded the corner, seeing the police cars waiting for them and they finally exhaled. They were really going home.

Ash looked through the windows until he found the car that brendon was in, and he starred brendon in the eye, pushing away his hurt so that he could smile. It was a dangerous smile, one that ignited Brendon's anger. He'd told brendon that he would be there laughing when his world crumbled.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Audrey didnt care that she was speeding, that Walter was gripping his seat in fear as she drove down the long roads. They'd found Drake! Her baby was alive, he was safe. It was a three hour drive to Santa Clarita, where Drake was. He'd only been three hours away all of this time...

She swallowed the tears as she drove, wanting to see him, to touch him. She needed to know that this was real, that he was really there. She followed the electronic voice of the GPS, letting it lead her through the unfamilier strees until finally they were at the police station. She jumped out of the car, slamming the door shut as she ran toward the front doors, bursting through them. Frantically, she searched the lobby for Drake, Starring at every face for seconds before moving to the next. Then she saw him, standing next to two others boys, and her heart stopped.

It was as if everything else around her faded out of existence, every sound died away as her heart beat loudly in her ears. The florescent light shone down on him, illuminating his pale skin. So pale... He was standing there, eyes lost in the chaos around him as his body shook.

"Drake..." his name was a whisper on her trembaling lips. "Drake!" She called, running toward him.

He heard a familier voice call out him name, and slowly, he turned toward it. He stared at the woman running toward him, tears falling from her eyes as she called out his name again. He knew that voice, had heard it in his dreams. He stared into those pain filled eyes as they looked over his battered body, and he remembered.

"Mom..." he whispered. The tears he might have held back broke free as he moved toward her, as she pulled him into her arms. He fell into those arms, feeling his strength give out. "mom."He whispered as he burried his face into her warm shoulder. he couldn't stop crying as he felt her move her hands over him, assuring them both that the other was really there.

She wrapped her arms around him, holding him so tightly she thought she'd break him. She couldnt hold back the tears as she felt his thin body press against her, as his hair brushed across her cheek. He was trembaling in her arms, his tears soaking through her sweater and onto her skin. "Oh Drake," She said loveingly as she held him, as she ran her fingers through his hair and kissed the top of his head. "I love you." She whispered, voice breaking.

"I love you too." He sobbed, holding on to her tightly, afriad to let go.

"It's okay now." She said, trying to assure them both. "It's over."

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**A/N:** His reunion with his mom made me cry, thats all I have to say.


	17. Tears

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Drake and Josh, Criminal minds, or the lyrics to Emilies song.

**A/N: **I dont know the name of this song, only that I love it, and it will be on the new album. On another note, I went to see the Devil's carnival the other night, it was absolutly amazing, and, if it hasnt been to a location near you yet, I highly recomend going to see it. As usual, lyrics are in ittalics and between the ~

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The station was filling up, families pouring through the doors looking for their lost children, mothers screaming as they were told their sons were dead. Fathers gazing off in pain as they let the words sink in. Every family had been called. The dead children would be dug up, identified and sent with their families, to be burried where they wanted. None would be left in Brendon's yard.

They sat together within the sea of chaos, watching as people came and went, rushing, waiting. Audrey hadn't left Drake's side since she had gotten to the police station, even now she didnt let him out of her reach. They sat in the lobby chairs, side by side, her arm around him protectivly, holding him as he leaned against her.

All of the boys would be questioned one at a time about what had happened to them in that place. How all of the others had come to die. Out of the sixteen that had gone missing over the last eight years, only three had been brought back. Only three had made it out alive. She knew it was cruel, but she was glad that Drake was one of those three. The month of not knowing had been hard enough, if she'd have lost him forever...

She closed her eyes, silently praying for the families of the dead as she squeezed drake's shoulder. It didn't seem real, having him right beside her. The sound of him breathing, the warmth of his skin. She saw the bruises on his arms, the faded marks around his neck, around his wrists. She couldn't imagine the hell that he'd known, how those marks had come to him. She only knew that she hated whomever had left them, only hoped that they got what was comeing to them and more.

Drake turned his eyes toward Ash, staring silently into his dark brown eyes, at the bandage wrapped around the one with the cut. They didn't need words to comunicate now. They were both thinking about Zane, who was with the agents now. Drake hadnt been called in yet, but he was anxious. Ash offered him a tired smile, assuring him that it would be okay. He smiled back, falling back into his mother's arms.

Drake looked up as a woman burst through the station doors, her eyes wild as she looked over the crowd. She had the same Black hair and grey eyes that Zane did, looked so much like him. He watched as she ran to the desk, voice cracking as she asked about her son.

Her timing was nearly perfect. JJ was walking Zane back into the lobby just as she asked about him. She frooze, looking at her son before breaking into tears and pulling him into her arms. Zane stared at her blankly at first, unsure of who she was until her broken smile radiated, her voice called his name.

Zane held her tightly as she ran her hands over his back, hugging him so tightly that it cut off his breath. He whispered to her softly as the tears overtook him. He was okay, he'd lied.

JJ walked over toward Drake, smiling as she watched Audrey nod to her in thanks. Seeing her reunited with her son, the relief on both of their faces made the horrors of this job worth it.

"Are you ready, Drake?" She asked, offering him a smile. She couldn't imagine what all of this was like for him. The stress of being free, of finally seeing his parents again only to have to go into another room and talk about the things that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

He nodded, slowly pulling away from his mom. He shuddered as he lost her warmth.

JJ looked at Audrey, seeing the immediant panic in her eyes as Drake moved away from her. "You can come to, if it's okay with Drake." JJ said.

He didnt want her to know. He knew that eventually she'd know everything, and he was afraid of what that knowledge would do to her, how she would look at him. He took a step away from her, feeling the world shift beneath him. Walter was on his feet, catching him before he could fall.

"Can't he rest?" Walter asked, helping Drake regain his footing.

"Soon." JJ said. "After we talk to him, they all need to go to the hospital. After that they should be able to go home."

Audrey placed a hand on Drake's shoulder, her eyes pleading. She didnt want him out of her sight. "Drake?"

"It's okay.' he said softly.

_~...Start at the beginning, finish at the end  
>Everything you'll tell them is true, nothing is pretend But when you long to come running back<br>Remember, this is now, that was then...~_

He hadnt realized it until he was walking through the halls, bumping shoulders with the officers walking around, seeing the faces of all the people he didnt know. He didn't trust any of them, was in fact, terrified by each one. Any one of them could be like the men Brendon had given them over too, could be waiting to hurt him.

He could feel his hands shaking as he tried not to look at their faces, as his heart began to beat faster. Until now, he'd only known that house, that the people who entered it were there to hurt them. Out here in the open, he didnt know what to expect. Who to trust.

He entered the nearly empty room, staring at his reflection in the two way glass. he knew that his mom was on the other side, ready to run to him should he need her. He barly recognized himself, couldnt imagine how he must look to her now, pale and thin, bruised and cut.

He sat in the chair, figiting with his fingers as he looked from the tape recorder to the agents across the table.

"Tell us everything you can remember." Gideon said, smiling gently. "Start from the beginning, take as mush time as you need. We know that this is hard for you, but it will help us put those men away."

Drake swallowed, his mouth had never felt so dry. He closed his eyes, remembering the day that it had all started, the day he'd been taken. He remembered leaving the school, apologizing to josh, though he couldn't remember why they'd been fighting.

He told them about getting into the car, loosing consciousness and waking up in the trunk. The first time he'd met brendon, the isolation room. He tried to push back the tears as he talked about the pills, the daily routine and the punishments for breaking it.

He hesitated when he got to the night in the entertainment room. The things he didnt want his mom to know, that he didnt want to remember. Zack's eyes as he had molested him, the cheering of the other men as Damien and Ash were beaten. He was shaking violently as he told them about the first time Zack had raped him. Deep within himself, he could still feel Zack, still smell him.

Every rape, every beating fell from his mouth in broken words. His voice cracked as he cried, not daring to look at either of the agents listening, at the glass his mother was standing behind. When he got to the day of damien's suicide he had to stop. He was shaking too hard, crying too much to try to speak.

Gideon reached his hand across the table, laying it over drake's. He knew about the suicide, both of the others had told them about it. these boys had lost a friend, and they were still hurting from it. "take your time." he said softly. "it's okay."

Drake nodded, letting the sobs work their way out of his system as he tried to breath. "Im okay." he said, though he didnt believe it.

As soon as he had himself under control, he told them about the doctor. The examination and rape that had come of his visit. And then he told them about the night he'd stabbed Zack, when he had been raped for the last time by the four others who were currently locked away. Everything until the moment The agents had come down those basement stairs, a monthes worth of torture and hardship all out in a little over an hour.

"You did good." gideon said, turning off the tape recorder. "Agent Reid and Morgan are going to take you, Zane and Ash to the hospital, after that, you can go home."

Drake nodded. He didnt want to go.

Audrey was leaning against the two way glass, her hand obsorbing its cold as she let her head fall. She'd known that bad things had happened, but hearing all of them, watching drake strungle as he told them about all of it. She didnt know what they'd done, what he'd been through. She didnt know how to handle it, so she cried.

Breathing in, breathing out, she tried to calm herself. She needed to be strong right now, for Drake. She whiped the tears away, swallowed the cries that still wanted out as she stepped out into the hallway. She watched as he left the room, stepping toward him and pulling him into her arms. She didnt have the words, not yet.

Ash looked at the man standing at the desk, at his strong featured face as he looked toward him. He knew that strength. He stood on weakened legs, determined not to let the pain slow him down. He straightned his back, cleared his throat and forced back the tears as his father walked over.

It took him by surprise when his father pulled him into his arms, holding him tightly as he exhaled. "Ashton..." He sighed as a tear fell down his cheek.

He could hold it back no longer. "Dad." his voice shook as he wrapped his arms around his father.

"We never stopped looking." His dad said, pulling away to look at the son he'd missed so much. He felt his knuckles whiten as he looked at the bruises, the bandage covering his left eye. he wanted to kill the people who'd done this to his boy.

"Where's everyone else?" Ash asked, looking for the rest of his family.

"Your mom and sisters are at home, your brothers outside." His father said, looking toward the door. "We werent sure what we'd find."

Ash nodded, knowing exactly what he ment. Alot of people had shown up, hopeing to find their children waiting for them. he looked toward the doors as they opened again, hoping to see his brother, but instead, he saw them.

He knew who they were the moment they entered the doors, their golden hair, those blue eyes... They looked so much like damien. then he saw the little girl, the spitting image of her older brother. he watched them move toward the desk, saw the woman fall into her husbands arms as they were told that damien was gone.

"Ash?" His father asked, seeing the way his son watched them.

"I think they're damien's parents." he said softly. "he died a few weeks ago."

"Im sorry." his dad said.

"I'll be back." he said, moving toward them slowly. he'd made a promise, and he intended to keep it.

"Where's Damien mommy?" The little girl asked, tugging on her mother's shirt.

The woman knelt beside her daughter, placing shaking hands on her shoulders. "He's in heaven." She said through tears as she pulled her daughter close. "With the angels and grandpa."

The little girl pulled away, shaking her head. "No, he's supposed to be here." She said through her distress. "You said we were coming to get him."

"i'm sorry," her mother said, turning her eyes away.

Ash stood next to them, looking down at the little girl with tears in her bright blue eyes. Damien's eyes. "Abigale?" he asked, kneeling down beside her.

"Who are you?" She asked, watching Ash carefully.

"My name is Ash," he said. "I was a friend of Damien's."

"Where is he?" She asked, hope shining in her eyes. "he's comeing home now, right?"

He shook his head as a tear fell from his unbandaged eye. "Your mom's right, he's in heaven now. But before he went, he asked me to tell you something." He pushed past his own pain, knowing that it was nothing comparred to theirs. "he wanted me to tell you that he loves you, that he's sorry he couldn't go home."

She looked at him, trembaling as her tears broke free. "Why didnt he come back?"

Ash didnt know what to say, how to tell this little girl that her brother had killed himself because the pain was too much for him. He couldn't tell her that. "I'm sorry..." he said, standing up.

He turned away from them, ready to go back to his father when Abigale grabbed his hand, turning him back toward her and pulling him down. She wrapped her arms around him, burrying her small face in his side. "Thank you." She whispered before letting him go.

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They werent at the hospital long, though none of them enjoyed it. They looked at the doctors who were there to help them like the one who'd visited brendon's house. They pulled away from them, not wanting to be touched. Argued and shielded themselves, because they didnt want to be hurt anymore.

There would be scars, the doctors told their parents. Physical, and phycological. Some of the lashing had cut deep, but the bruises would fade. They were dehydrated, malnurished and in dire nedd of rest. They had to keep taking their pills, in smaller doses to ween themselves from them. To pull them right off would make them very ill. They'd have to wait for the results of the blood tests, to know if any of the boys had contracted anything from the men who'd abused them.

Zane and Drake could hear Ash cursing at the doctors as they stiched up the cut over his eye, it would scar. His last defiance forever streached across his face. They stared at the doors, listening to his anger, feeling it.

After an hour they were given back to their parents, told that they could go home. they didnt thank the doctors as they pulled themselves tirdly toward their parents, as they walked back out from the glass doors. They stood outside the doors, watching as their parents looked back at them.

This was it, the moment when they went away from each other, to the lives they had thought they lost. They stood, froozen in time, staring at one another. They werent ready for this, to be seperated so fast.

"Drake?" Auddrey asked, taking a single step toward her son.

He looked at Ash and Zane, knowing they felt the same way he did. Despite how much they wanted t go home, they all hesitated.

"This is it." Zane said, swallowing hard. "Do you guys think we'll see each other again?"

"Sure we will." Ash said, turning toward his dad. "Do you have a piece of paper?"

His father searched his pockets, no paper, but he had a gas reciept from the drive down. Audrey handed him a pen from her purse, pulling out her own shred of paper. They each wrote out two copies of their phone numbers, handing them to the boys. Zane's mother followed the other parents lead, giving two copies of her number to Zane. The boys traded off numbers, and hugged each other tightly. They were scared as they walked with their parents, away from each other toward the cars that would take them home.

Drake climbed into the back seat of his parents car, feeling the anxiety rise as it began to move. He pulled the donated shoes off of his feet, not comfortable in them after all the time he'd spent without them. He pressed his head against the window glass, watchingthe world move around him and his stomach knotted.

"How long till were home?" He asked.

"Three hours." Walter said, seeing how uncomfortable Drake was. "Are you okay?"

"Just a little dizzy." he said, trying to relax. "I missed you giys." he whispered, wrapping his arms around himself.

"We missed you too, son." Walter said, pushing back tears so that he could drive.

"is Josh still mad at me?" he asked after a few moments of silence. he couldnt remember why they had faught, only that it had been his fault.

"No." Audrey said, turning around in her seat and reaching for Drake's hand, squeezing it tightly. "He's waiting up at home, with Meghan. They both miss you very much."

He nodded, before sitting back in his seat. "Can I lie down?" he asked. he was so tired.

"of course." Audrey said.

Drake undid the seat belt and layed down over the seats, closing his eyes so that he didnt have to see the world move. A lot had happened today, so much had changed. He was glad for it, but it left him feeling an odd emptiness that he didnt like. But he was going home, that was all that mattered.

He was in and out of dreamless sleep the entire ride. Fading in and out to the music playing softly from the radio, to the frequent glances back from his mom, assuring herself that he was really there. He starred at his wrists, at the bruises from the restraints, the small cuts from pulling at the handcuffs. He listened to his stomach grumble as hunger began to creep through him.

They stopped for burgers about halfway home, the taste exploding on his tastebuds. He'd forgotten what real food tasted like, it amazed him. He ate as much as his stomach would allow, savoring every bite.

Back in the car, they were forty minutes from home when Drake spoke again. "Are you going to tell Josh and meghan what happened?" he asked.

Audrey turned toward him, offering a gentle smile. "No." She couldn't imagine telling them what she had heard. "If you want to, you can though."

He nodded, looking down. "Are you guys ashamed of me?" He asked quietly.

"No." They said in unison.

"What happened wasnt your fault. What those mensters did..." She took a deep breath. "You're still our son, what happened hasnt changed how we feel about you Drake. We still love you."

"thanks..." he said before laying back down, feeling the wat=rm tears rise in his tired eyes.

_ ~...Yesterday will find you where you've been before_  
><em>Let the past remind you what's done, look for something more<em>  
><em>There's a place I can almost see before us, never if, only when...~<em>

He opened his eyes when the car finally stopped moving, the sounds of the engine died off and he felt Audrey's hand on his shoulder.

"We're home," She smiled. "Your home."

He sat up in his seat, looking out the window at the house he had all but forgotten. Hesitantly, he stepped out of the car, leaving the shoes behind as he elt the paved driveway under his feet. This wasnt a dream, it was real. He walked between his parents, toward the front door. He reached out toward the doorknob, holding it for a moment before turning it.

Josh and meghan were sitting on the couch when they heard the car pull into the driveway, listening as they heard three doors shut. he was home! They were on their feet before the door opened, waiting to see if he was really home.

Their hearts beat faster as the door opened, as Drake stepped through it and into the light. Meghan let her cell phone drop to the floor, its clatter ignored as she ran toward him, wrapping her shaking arms around him and hiding her tears in his side.

"I love you." She said quietly as she hugged him. She'd never really said it, but now, after coming so close to never having the chance, it was all she could say. "I love you Drake."

He looked down at her, holding her tightly. "I love you too." he whispered, falling to his knees and holding her tightly.

Josh watched them from across the room, waiting for the right moment to run over there. he couldnt take this moment from meghan, not now. So he stood, still as a painting watching. Drake had changed, it was obvious. He was pale, noticably thinner then he had been. he was shaking, unsure. All the things he hadn't been a month ago. Josh's smile faded as his tears blurred his eyes. It was his fault, he still blamed himself. Seeing what had happened to Drake only made him feel worse.

He watched his parents enter the house, the relief and pain in their faces. Audrey looked over at him, smiling past the tears in her eyes. He tried to smile back as he slowly approached his brother.

"Dont ever go away again." Meghan said, hesitantly pulling away from Drake.

"I'll try." he said, trying to joke.

"Drake...?" Josh said, looking at Drake as he slowly stood back up.

Drake didnt know what to say as he looked into the hurting eyes of his brother, he just fell into him, hugging him as tightly as his tired arms would allow. "I'm sorry." he whispered.

Josh pulled away from Drake, looking over him. He was hurt and tired, he could barly keep on his bare feet. "Do you wanna go upstairs?" josh asked.

"yeah." Drake said.

Audrey walked over, hugging Drake one more time before letting him go. "I love you." She said.

Drake followed Josh up the stairs, looking over the house carefully, re-adjusting to it. He knew that it hadn't changed much since he'd been gone, but it felt different to him. He entered his bedroom, it was so big to him now. There were no bars on the window, nothing to keep him in.

He turned toward Josh, who was still watching him, and stepped toward him. "I'm sorry." he said again, tears in his eyes.

"For what?" josh asked. All he wanted was to hug his brother, to let him know that everything was going to be okay.

"For whatever i did that made you hate me." Drake said, tears falling freely.

Josh shook his head, gently grabbing Drake and pulling him into a hug. "I'm not mad about that." he said as he hugged dake tighter, feeling his small body tremble against him. "I'm sorry Drake."

"It was my fault." Drake whispered, that much he knew.

"Not about that," Josh said through sobs. "For letting this happen, for not having your back. I should have gone after you when you apologized." he was shaking now.

Drake shook his head. "It wasnt your fault." he said as he hugged Josh tighter. he'd been waiting forever to apologize, to know that Josh had forgiven him. having that forgivness meant the everything to him, filled an empty hurt that he'd been harboring for so long. he'd faught to survive, to hold onto hope that he'd make it home, and now here he was. In the one place where he truly belonged, with his brother, his closest friend.

Josh held Drake as he cried, as they both cried. He'd spent so long hoping that they would get him back, that he would come home. Every minute he'd spent hanging posters, counting the days with cuts until this moment. There had been a hundred things he'd wanted to say, but he couldn't find the words. All he could do was hold him, assure himself that this was real, because if it wasnt, he'd die. When they had lost Drake his world had fallen, now he was home, shaking in his arms as they cried. They'd had better days, but right now, Josh wouldn't trade this moment for anything.

"I love you brother." Drake said quietly.

"I love you too." Josh replied.

_~...Start another story, tell it as you go_  
><em>Make a happy ending, or sad<em>  
><em>Tell it as you know<em>  
><em>Just remember a day gone by is never really gone<em>  
><em>If your tale goes on...~<em>

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**A/N:** The story is not finished, this is not the end. I wrote their reunion to the song come home, its beautiful.


	18. Home

A/N: I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter, I kind of went into it blind, didnt really know what i wanted to write.

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They sat within the police station late into the night filling out papers and talking to the local officers. The hardest part of the investigation was over, they'd caught their unsub, what boys had lived were home, they were safe. They had more then enough evidence to put brendon and his clients away for a long time, for that, they were thankful.

Now they were waiting for the pychologist to finish talking with the other boys they'd brought back from brendon's home. They'd taken blood samples from all of them, and found the families of three. All of these boys had been taken from their homes when they were too young to remember a life other then the ones they'd been given. They were trained to follow orders, and hurt those who broke the rules. Though they were victims in all of this, they were stilll dangerous.

Hotchner greated the Pychologist as he left the interrogation room, cleaning his glassess with his sleeve.

"They'll need years of therapy." he said, putting his glasses back on. "To them, what they've been doing isnt wrong, the beatings, the rape, they were told to do it, so it was okay. It's almost impossible to pass judgement on them by our standards, because everything they know is different."

"So what do we do?" hotchner asked.

"For now, during the begining of their therapy, keep them locked up. They are a danger to others until they know that what they've done is wrong. In time, they should be able to re enter society."

"Thank you." Hotch said, shaking the man's hand.

"Just doing my job."He replied, pulling on his coat and retrieving his keys. "Those boys have been living that way for more then fifteen years, its all they've known. Dont be too hard on them." he said before leaving.

Hotch left the lobby, standing against the two way glass, looking in at the four older boys. He'd heard them talk about the things they'd done, and during those hours he'd forgotten that they werent the bad guys, not really. They hadnt asked to be forced into that life, to be tought in the ways of the men who'd taken them from their families.

He watched with tired eyes as they were led out from the interrogation room, back to their cells. Tomorrow they would be sent to a state run institution, where they could get the help they needed.

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Drake was aware of the movement around him, could hear Josh shuffleing about the room, waiting for him to wake up. he wasnt ready, not yet. He'd been up for hours now, just laying in his bed, trying to adjust to being home. By now, he should by halfway done with the foyer, he should be put of bed. But he didnt have to do that now, those days were behind him.

He curled up, knowing that josh would notice the sudden movement. He didnt care, right now he just wanted to think.

"Drake?" josh asked, hopeing that he was awake.

"I'm up." Drake said quietly, not wanting to turn around. He needed to get out of bed, if he stayed there, he'd get in trouble.

"Do you want me to get you anything?" Josh stepped toward Drake's bed.

"No." Drake said, pushing himself up. He looked around the room, there were no bars, nothing to keep him locked up. He climbed to the floor, avoiding Josh as he made his way to the bathroom. The boy he saw in that mirror wasnt the same boy he was in the photos around the house. It wasnt just his pale complection, or his smaller body that made him realize that. Nor was it the scars and bruises that were scattered about him. No, it was something burried inside of him, deep within his eyes, his very self.

He'd lost so much of himself in that place, and now, he didnt know if he'd ever be able to find it.

Drake made his way down the stairs to the kitchen, seeing his mom in there making lunch. He'd been in bed longer then he thought.

"Drake." She smiled, walking toward him and pulling him into a hug. "Are you hungry?"

"Yeah." he replied, walking toward the table. "My pills..." he said, searching for them.

Audrey nodded. She hated that she had to give them to him. "You only have to keep taking these two." She said, handing them to him.

Without a glance, Drake popped them into his mouth, accepting the glass of water as he swallowed them.

Audrey smiled, making him a plate with Mac and cheese and a sandwich and setting it down for him. She watched as he starred at it, unsure before finally eating. She watched him as he ate every bite, and as he carried his plate to the sink and began washing it.

"I can do that." She said, stepping forward.

"It's fine." Drake shrugged.

"Drake." She said, reaching for the dishes.

"Just let me do it." HE snapped, immediantly feeling bad.

"all right." Audrey said, stepping back.

"Mom, Im sorry." Drake said, turning toward her. "I'm used to doing my own dishes..."

"It's okay." She said, smiling. She needed to let him do whatever he needed. "We have a meeting with a therapist later, the police said it would help."

"Do I have to?" he asked.

"yes," She said. "But if you dont want to keep going, you don't have to."She turned away, breathing heavily as she called Josh and Meghan down for lunch.

Drake set his dishes to dry and left the kitchen, stopping by the stairs to let Josh and Meghan pass. He watched them, their worryless faces, and all he wanted was to feel the relief they did. He was home, their nightmare was over.

Slowly he dragged his feet back to the bathroom, locking himself inside. He turned on the shower, carefully pulling off his clothes. Across his back were fading bruises, healing cuts and scars. when everything else faded into nothing, those scars would dtill be there, reminding him forever what he'd been through. Telling the world where he'd been. He hated them.

He stepped into the warm water, letting it wash away everything, the filth that sting clung to him, the dirt from his bare feet and the tears that he couldn't stop from falling. There was so much pain and anger inside of him right now. He didnt know how to let it all out, what to do.

He thought that he would find some sort of peace when he got home, that everything would just stay behind him. But he felt more alone now then ever. He missed Ash and Zane, the comfort they'd given him. They knew what he was going through, what had been. Drake knew that his family was there for him, but they didnt know, not like the others did. There was no routine here, no commands to follow. He felt lost, afriad.

The water grew cold as he stood under it, letting the pain freeze and fall. He waited until he couldnt stand it anymore before stepping out, wrapping himself in a towl and standing against the door. he didnt want them to see him, not like this. They would worry, and he didnt want that. They'd been through enough.

Josh was sitting on the couch in their room when Drake came back from the bathroom, flipping channels with no real interest in what was on. He looked over to Drake, offering a smile as he turned the t.v. off.

"Hey." He said.

"Hey..." Drake replied, slowly moving toward him.

"Are you okay?" Josh asked.

"Fine." Drake said, sitting down and picking up his guitar. he hadnt held it in so long. he strummed a few somber notes before looking back to Josh. "It's just weird," he whispered. "Being home.'

"I'm glad your home." josh said. "Im sorry."

"For what?" Drake asked, turning back the guitar.

"I know I told you last night, but, for everything. For being so mean before it happened, for not being by your side." he shook his head. "if your mad at me...'

"i'm not mad at you." Drake said. He didnt blame Josh, not for anything. "The fight we had, was my fault. I wouldn't have wanted you there with me." he said quietly.

Josh hesitated. "What happened?"

Drake stopped strumming the guitar, never looking at Josh. "i don't want to talk about it."

"It would help." Josh offered.

Drake put down the guitar. "I dont want to talk about it." He repeated, slightly irritated. He didnt want to be rude, but he didnt want Josh to know.

"Okay..." Josh said, pushing back his tears. he wouldnt cry, not now. "If you ever want to, I'm here."

Drake pushed himself off of the couch, walking away from Josh. "Just let it go." he said, picking up the papers with Ash and Zane's numbers on them before leaving the room.

Josh watched Drake laeve, holding himself back from going after him. He just wanted to help, to be there for Drake, because he knew that he needed someone. He turned his eyes to his wrists, pulling up his sleeves and looking down at the cuts. He didnt just want to help Drake, he wanted Drake to hep him.

Drake took the phone and went out into the yard, waiting until he was sure that no one could hear him before he dialed Ash's number. he waited as the phone rang, dreading the possibility of no one answering.

Finally, a woman answered. "Hello?"

"Hi," Drake said, exhaling. "is Ash there?"

She paused. "If your with the newspaper, I've all ready told you to stop calling." She said harshly.

"No, I'm Drake. i was eith him..."

"Oh," She gasped,. "im sorry. I'll go and get him."

Drake waited as he listened to her move through rooms, calling out his name. Finally, after what felt like hours, she handed the phone to Ash. "Hello?"

"Ash, it's Drake." he said, feeling relief as he heard his friends voice.

"Are you okay?" Ash asked, worry obvious.

"Yeah..." Drake said. "i think so."

"It's weird, being home." Ash said.

"Yeah." Drake said, he hadnt realized how tense he was. "I dont know aht to do here."

"Me niether." Ash said, forcing a light laugh. "I can't get a moment to myself. I can't really blame them though, two years is a long time."

"Josh wont stop trying to get me to talk about it." Drake said, pulling his knees up.

"Your brother?" Ash asked. "he's just wirried. You guys had a fight before it happened, he's probably blaming himself. My brother's been the same way."

"Did you tell him?" drake asked.

"No..." Ash paused, thinking. "I will, eventually. My mom is making me go to counciling, she says it will help. I've been so angry...'

"I know what you mean." Drake replied. "Have you talked to Zane?"

"Not yet." Ash said. "I was thinking about calling you guys before you called."

"tell him hi for me?" Drake asked.

"Yeah." Ash replied lightly. "take care of yourself." Ash said sternly.

"You to." Drake said before hanging up the phone.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Drake sat in the soft chair, starring at the balding man as he adjusted his glasses. He'd read the police report, knew what had happened.

"How are you feeling?" Dr. Harvish asked.

"I dont know, okay I guess." Drake said, fiddleing with his fingers.

"You must have been frightened, while you were there."

"Sometimes." Drake replied. "But its over now."

"Do you sill feel afraid?" he asked, leaning forward.

"Not really." Drake said. "I nkow they can't get to me now."

"Do you feel angry?"

Drake hesitated. "Sometimes." he whispered. "Im angry about what happened, at everyone for asking me if Im okay." he said, glaing at the doctor.

"Do you know what Post tramatic stress is Drake?"

"No." he grunted. He wanted to go home.

"After an ordeal like the one you've been through, people experience symptoms." he began. "they become withdrawn, they have nightmares and flashbacks. They'll get angry for no real eason and lash out at people who are trying to help. have you been experiencing ay of this?"

Drake didnt answer.

"the best way to get over what has happened, is to talk about it. With me," he gestured to himself. "or your family. Or even the other boys who were there with you. If you try to repress your memories and feelings, you will only feel worse. You need to talk about it, to let it out. Do you understand?"

Drake nodded.

"Would you like to talk about it today?" He asked.

"Not really." Drake replied.

"I'd like you to come in a few times a week. I'm here to help you." he assured drake.

"Thanks." Drake said, standing up. "Can I go home, please sir?"

The man offered a tired smile. "you don't have to call me sir. I'll see you here in two days, at four o'clock."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Reid watched the team as they boarded the jet, taking his time before joining them. They'd done it, they'd saved them... some of them.

"Reid?" Gideon asked, standing next to him.

"Im okay." he replied.

Gideon placed a hand on his shoulder. "Those boys are okay now." he said. "they're safe."

"they're in hell." he said softly. "It's not over for them, not yet."

Gideon turned toward reid, looking him in the eyes. "they've got good families to help them through the next part. It'll take some time."

"I know." Reid said. he knew what they were going through, how hard those first weeks would be. "I wish we could have helped the others." he said, almost too quietly to hear.

"I know." Gideon said, walking with him onto the jet. "I do too."

They found their seats, sitting across from each other over a game a chess. reid had done what he set out to do, he had saved them. He didnt give up, and now those who had survived were home, with the people who could help them get past what happened. he couldn't changed what had happened to those who had died, he knew that. And he knew that it wasnt his fault. He took a deep breath, planning his next move as Gideon smiled at him.

It was going to be okay.


	19. One foot in front of the other foot

**Disclaimer:** The lyrics to _One foot in front of the other _belong to Emilie Autumn. Until I heard this song live, I didnt like it, but seeing them preform it, really hearing the words clearly for the first time, I realized it was about something more. The fight to push through pain, to keep going no matter whats happened.

**A/N**: I think theres one chapter after this one, I hope you guys enjoy this one, it took a few days...

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Some nights, he wished he didnt have to sleep, that he sinply couldnt. Because when he slipped into sleep, when his mind created those vivid images, he found himself in a place he didnt want to be. Living in chains, bound and beaten. Raped and scared.

While his body rested his mind ran itself into exhaustion, tormenting his already shaken self until he forced himself awake, shaking in a cold sweat as he fought the nasuea off. All of the things he wanted to forget, he remembered and relived. It'd been a week since he'd come home, and he felt like he was still there.

Drake forced his eyes open, the yelp escaping his throat, startling Josh awake. He tried not to look at his brother, though he knew Josh was watching him. He'd woken Josh up every night, shrugging off his concern as he tried to pretend he was going back to sleep. Instead he layed there in the sliver of moonlight comeing in through the window and tried to force the images away. He didnt want to talk about his nightmares, didnt want josh to know.

He knew that josh wanted to help, he'd done everything except beg him to talk about it. But if josh knew what had happened, he'd never look at him the same. he'd noticed the look in his mother's eyes, the pain she tried so hard to hide. She looked at him and saw a tragedy in human form, and he didnt want Josh to look at him that way. So he pushed him away, became cold and distant. His therepist insisted that he talk to Josh about it, btu Drake wasnt sure. Ash and Zane both said that they's found some peace in talking it out, but they were stronger then he was.

"Drake?" josh said softly. "Are you still awake?"

Drake didnt answer. _Just go back to sleep_... he silently begged.

Josh sighed heavily. "I don't think you can hear me in your sleep," he said quietly. "But I need to talk to you. I know that whatever happened was hard on you, that your angry, but, I'm here for you. Sometimes I think that you're so distant because you blame me, I blame me. If I were you, I'd hate me, because I hate me." he shuddered, breathing deeply. "You don't have to tell me what happened, just, please, talk to me." josh pleaded.

Drake listened to Josh's words, letting them sink in as silent tears fell over his cheeks. He didnt hate Josh, nor did he blame him. All he wanted to do was protect himself from his memories, from the pain that was still so strong inside of him. He listened as josh layed back down, as he cried himself back to sleep._ Tomorrow_, Drake silently promised.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Drake was doing the laundry when meghan finally found him that morning. She looked at him, puzzled as he loaded the washer and turned to fold the clothes he'd finished. She'd never seen him do housework that he wasn't forced to do after one of her pranks had made a mess of things. She watched him silently, the way he moved, the distant look in his eyes. He was so different now.

"Drake?" She said, stepping into the room after long moments of watching him.

He jumped when she said his name. "Meghan?" He shook his head. "You scared me..."

"I try." She smiled. "Where's mom?"

"At the store." Drake replied.

"You're doing the laundry." She said.

"So."

"You never do housework." She said, her worry hidden.

"It calms me down." He said softly. "I had to do it every day."

She stood beside him, watching as he put one of Josh's shirts in their dad's pile. "That one goes over here." She said, taking it and putting it with josh's clothes.

"Thanks." he said absently.

She watched him, chewing on her words. "How are you doing?" She asked, the words feeling weird.

He looked at her, startled by her concern. "Okay, I guess."

"It must have been scary," She mused. "You were gone for so long, and you've changed, a lot."

He stopped folding the laundry, feeling his muscles tense. Meghan had always had a way of knowing things she shouldn't. "It was. But its over now."

"I hate Josh." She finally said. "I tried not to, but I can't. He should have been there for you, he shouldn't have let that happen." There were tears in her eyes.

Drake sighed, placing a hand on her small shoulder. "It wasn't Josh's fault. Those people wanted me, and they would have taken me, even if Josh had been there." he swallowed hard.

"You arnt mad at him at all?" She asked, disbelief in her eyes.

"No." Drake said. "I never really was. Not when we were fighting, and not while i was gone."

"maybe," She sighed. "I can forgive him."

"I'd like that." he smiled. "he's haveing a ruff time."

Meghan rolled her eyes, offering drake a smile before she hugged him. "I'm glad that you're okay." She whispered. "I was scared."

"For me?"

"For you." She said. "if you ever scare me like that again, lets just say that I wont be so nice next time."

he laughed. It felt good to laugh. "I'm not going anywhere." he assured her.

"You promise?" he asked, eyes gleaming as she looked up at him.

"I promise." he said.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

_~...How did I get myself into all this mess? How did I end up with this deadly home address? How did I come to this, where every song I sing Is nothing but a list of pain and suffering?...~_

In the old days, when drake played his guitar the music that poured out of him had always been happy. It had been as carefree and vibrant as he was. Now, as he leaned into the couch in his room, strumming the strings and whispering words, it was everything that it hadn't been before. All he could think about as he played those sad songs were the things that had ripped his life apart.

A life in chains, torments that no one should ever know. When he sang quetly to himself, he sang about the things that plagued his sleep, the pains he couldn't escape. Every event, every lashing listed out in songs that could make a hardened man cry.

Maybe this was the therapy he'd needed. His way of letting it all out, comeing to terms with it.

He looked up when Josh came into the room, watched as Josh looked away. It hurt to see Josh turn away from him, but, he'd been doing the same thing to Josh since he'd come home. With shaking hands, he continued to play his guitar, taking solace in its haunting melody.

"Drake..." josh said before swallowing his words.

"I don't hate you." Drake said, not looking up. "I'm sorry, for the way i've been."

"Why have you been ignoring me?" josh asked, putting his stuff down and moving hesitantly toward Drake.

Drake took a deep breath. "I'm afraid of the way you'll look at me, when you know."

"What happened to you wasnt your fault." Josh said. "What they did, it doesnt change myopinion of you."

"You know?' Drake asked, freezing.

"Only what was in the news report." josh replied, even that had been enough.

"I didnt watch it..." Drake whispered.

Josh sat down next to Drake, watching as his hands continued to shake. There were so many things he wanted to say, but he didnt know how to form the words. "What happened," he started, unsure of his words. "It wasn;t your fault. What those people did, you didnt deserve it. They're bad people."

"Punishment earned is punishment given." Drake said. Brendon had told them that, made the belive it.

"No." Josh said. "You've never done anything to earn what they did."

"The beat us." Drake shuddered. "They raped us and used us."

"Im sorry." josh said, it hurt to hear Drake say what he'd only guessed.

"It's not your fault." Drake said, trying to push the tears away, to seem stronger then he felt. "I wanted to die, to make it all stop." He put his guitar down, starring at his hands as they continued to shake. "When Damien died, I should have known what was happening, I should have stopped him." Drake burried his head in his hands, trying to hide the tears. "If I had, he'd still be alive..."

Josh pulled Drake into his arms, holding him tightly. "it wasn't your fault." He tried to assure him.

Drake shook his head. "I watched him bleed to death, Josh. I couldn't do anything, they held me back, and i saw him die."

Josh squeezed Drake, closing his eyes as hot tears fell over his cheeks.

"I don't think he blames you." Josh said. He'd heard Drake call that name out in his sleep more then once, knew that he'd been close to that boy. "He had his reasons for what he did."

_~...I've been in chains since I was nothing but a kid We don't know freedom, not quite sure that we ever did Now that we have it, how will we make use of it? We've been committed — now to what do we all commit?...~_

"I thought that being home would make it all go away." Drake said, pulling away from Josh, refusing to look at him. "I believed, I hoped that when i was finally free, things would be okay. But they arnt." He scodded. "We were just kids, and they locked us up and destroyed us."

"They hurt you," josh said. "But you're still here, they can't hurt you anymore."

"I took for granted everything that had been good about life." Drake said, gently touching the wound on his side. "Everything, even you, and mom and dad. Meghan..." He lifted his shirt, letting Josh see for the first time where Zack had stabbed him. He saw the shock in josh's eys, then took his shirt completly off, turning so that Josh could see his back. Faded bruises, healing gashes and scars that would always be there. "Until I lost all of you, I didnt know how much you all kept me together..."

Josh felt the anger rise as he looked at herey mark, each proof of pain. he wanted to hurt the people who'd done that to Drake, to make them suffer. He looked down to his hands, shaking now like Drake's. "I have something to show you..." he said, pulling up his sleeves.

Though most of the cuts had healed and faded away, a few still remained, dull reddish pink against his skin. "There's been one for every day that you were gone..."

"Josh..." Drake sighed, looking at the cuts as tears fell from his eyes. "Why?"

"I blamed myself every day. I hung the missing person posters around town, seeing that picture of you smiling and okay, I knew that I had hurt you. I didnt go after you when you apologized in Mr. rolands class, I just ignored you, and then you were gone. I should have gone after you, you tell you that it was okay, to have your back...'

"I never blamed you." Drake said. "All I could think about when they forst took me, was if you were still mad at me... How badly i'd messed up."

"It was a stupid fight." Josh said.

Drake nodded, feeling the relief wash over him. "After everything thats happened, I dont know what to do." he confessed.

"Just live." Josh said. "you'll get through this. You're stronger then you think you are, and your stuborn." he smiled.

"Thanks." drake smiled, pulling Josh into a hug.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

_~...We never will forget, and no, we will not forgive We've fought hard not to die, yet we don't know how to live How do we change our world to what we want it to be? How do we move beyond all of this misery?...~_

Drake waited in the living room for what felt like years, counting the minutes as they turned into hours. Ash and Zane were making the long trips down to visit! Audrey refused to let him go very far, so they had agreed to drive down to his house. They needed to see each other, to do more then talk over the phones and computers.

He was pacing around the living room when he heard a car pull into the driveway, as two car doors opened and shut. He ran to the front door, opening it quickly as his friends walked toward it. He smiled, seeing them smile back. They were looking better, gained some weight and color.

They stood in the doorway, all looking at each other for long moments until finally Zane jumped forward, pulling drake into a hug. "Missed you man." he said as he pulled away.

"i missed you guys too." he smiled, letting them into the house. "My rooms upatairs." he said, leading the way.

They followed him up the stairs, looking at the pictures on the walls, the bits and pieces of his life before it had all happened. They'd done the same thing when they'd gone home, looking at every reminder of what life had been. They walked into his room, looking around it, amazed at the size.

"Wow." Zane said. "Your room is awesome."

"Thanks." Drake said, "Me and josh like it this way."

"Is your brother here?" Ash asked, moving toward the couch.

"No, he's at work." Drake said. "Its just us for now."

They all sat down, accepting the Moca colas as Drake handed them out. It felt strange, being together and being free. They sat in silnce at first, relaxing as the tension drianed itself from their bodies.

"How've you guys been?" Drake asked, sipping his cola.

"Its been weird." Zane said. "I still expect bars on the walls when i wake up."

"I forget where i am when I wake up." Ash said. "Im angry most of the time. I know that my parents just wanna help, but i feel like their smothering me."

"My mom is always staring at me," Drake sighed. "Theres alot of sadness in her eyes. Expecially when she sees me doing housework, but i like doing it, I guess. Helps me pass the time, helps me concentrate on not remembering."

The others nodded, knowing how he felt. It was the same for all of them.

"We made it out, but we're still trapped by it." Zane said. "We're alive, but we're not really living."

"I dont think we remember how." Darke sighed. "The more I try to make things like they were before, the more I remember what happened. It like a cycle."

"We can't forget it, its just too much." Ash said, running his fingers over the scar across his left eye. "We'll never forget what happened, never forgive the people who made it happen. The only thing we can do it try to move forward. If we let what happened rule the rest of our lives, then they win."

_~...We waged a war with Hell, and look, we still survive But just because we live does not mean that we're alive We've won the final round, but how to enjoy the win When we've been broken down and we'll never know what could have been...~_

"Sounds easier then it is." Zane said, shakeing his head. "We fought so hard for this freedom, to keep living. We watched friends die, each other suffer. It doesnt seem like much of a victory right now."

"Not completly." drake said. "For our families, its everything. They had to fight the words of people telling them to give up, fight their own thoughts while they looked and waited." he said, thinking of Josh. "For them, our empty victory means more then we really know."

Ash smiled. "It's just gonna take us a little bit longer. While their running, we're still taking baby steps. One foot at a time, untill we can walk without stumbling."

Zane chuckled softly, a tear forming in his eyes. "Sounds like something Damien would have said."

Ash nodded. "I think about him a lot."

"Me too." Drake said. "Almost every time im asleep..."

"Do you think he's in heaven?" Zane asked. "My mom says people who kill themselves go to hell.'

"I think, if there is a god," Ash said heavily. "that he'd make an exception for Damien."

'I hope so..." Zane said.

They spent the next few hours talking about where life had taken them since the day they'd been rescued. It was hard for each of them, trying to fit back into their old lives. Living in the darkness for so long, they'd grown accustomed to it, had, to an extent, accepted it. They'd never truly thought they would live outside those walls again, and now, here they were.

They were afriad of the world around them, brcause they knew all to well what evils it held. Inside of their homes, they were safe, but when they went outside, they trembled. Always looking over their shoulders for the mensters who wanted them caged up. Wanted them hurt.

They cried together as they talked about Damien, about the others they'd lost over time. So many had died waiting for the end that the three of them had found. Ash smiled sadly as he told them about abigale, she looked so much like damien it had brought tears to his eyes. He'd kept his promise tough, and that meant the world to him. They'd never forget the brothers they's had in that place, the sacrifices each of them had made for one another. The scars they shared.

They all looked up when josh entered the room, watching him as he looked over each of them. He'd known they were comeing, and seeing them there with Drake made him smile. Drake needed them, and he was sure they had been feeling the same way. He picked up a change of clothes, and was getting ready to lave the room when drake stopped him.

"Wanna hang out with us?"

It wasn't much, but it meant alot to Josh to have Drake want im around. He put his clothes down, moving toward the three of them. "I'm josh." he said.

"I'm Zane." Zane said, waving.

"Ash." Ash nodded.

"So what are you guys up to?" Josh asked, sitting down.

"Just talking." Drake said. "How was work?"

Josh smiled. Drake hadnt looked this relaxed since he'd been home. "It was all right, Crazy Steve went a little nuts, but we got him calmed down."

"You work with a guy named crazy Steve?" Zane asked, smiling.

"Yeah." Josh smiled.

Josh sat and talked with them until dinner. Looking at them, he could see how they tried to overcome everything that had happened. Listening to them, he inderstood more about what they'd endured. They might not see their own strength, but he did. They were still fighting, all of them. Just like Drake, it wouldn't be an easy transition. They'd been through the worst, but hard times still surrounded them. At least they all had people to turn to, each other, their families... Josh smiled, he would always be there for Drake, and so would they.

They left the room, and all of their pains behind as they decended the stairs for dinner. One foot at a time, they let the hurt linger there, not taking it with them to the kitchen. Audrey smiled as she set the two extra places for Ash and Zane, talked politly to them without bringing up what had happened. Walter and meghan did the same.

They laughed at dinner, and it was a feeling they all cherished. Real smiles, true laughter. Feelings that they would cherish for a long time, would keep close in the times of darkness that were sure to come. Audrey watched with a surpressed tear in her eyes as they boys smiled and cleared the dishes, as they washed them and cleaned the kitchen. But as long as they were smiling, as long as they knew that they didnt have to do it, she was okay. No one could change the way they reacted to life, they'd grown accustomed to doing these things. If it helped them, then she would let it be. She had to accept the things that could never be the same, not for herself, but for Drake.

_~...How do we bear this burden, far too much to carry? How do we turn our prison to a sanctuary? We've been kept from the light, no one ever gave a damn. If I've no one to fight. how do i know who I am?...~_

The boys went back to Drake's room after each called home, let their parents they were staying for the night so they wouldn't worry. One more night together, before they tried to change their worlds, began working themselves back into them. They turned on the t.v., to watch the news report on what had happened. Tonight it was over, the bad guys would be sentanced and locked away. Justice would finally be given.

They listened as the woman on the screen talked about the operation Brendon had been running, the number of boys who'd died, the three that had been saved. They were thankful that their names hadn't been used. They watched as the FBI agents who's saved them made their statement, as Brendon and the countless men who'd associated them were lead away. Then they saw something they hadn't been expecting.

The house where they'd been kept, where they'd been locked away and hurt, was burning. They watched the shaky image as the camera man zoomed in, then out, as the reporter tried to hide his smile as the fire department tried to put out the flames. The people of Santa Clarita, who'd been blind to the horrors happening there, had snuck onto the property, doused the house in gasoline, and set it aflame.

Disgusted by what had happened there, by their own ignorance to it, they went forth to destroy it. To burn away they image it left, the stories of hell its rooms told. The boys watched, their chests tightening as they saw it burn. Those people had done something they'd each thought about, and now that it was gone, they didnt know how to feel.

Ash stood up, a wicked grin on his face. "You guys wanna see something?"

They looked at him, confused. They followed him to the car, watched as he pulled a small container of fuel and balls much like the ones he'd spun at Brendon's house from the trunk.

"Can we go to your backyard?" he asked Drake.

"Sure..." Drake said, still confused.

They watched as Ash soaked the balls in the fliud, as he shook them off. "Can someone light these?" he asked.

Drake stepped forward, taking the lighter from Ash and setting the balls aflame.

they watched in wonder as he spun the flames, intricate designs chasing after each other, weaving a wordless story as Ash smiled in their light. It had been two years since he'd danced with those flames, but that time didnt show now. They all saw a piece of who he'd been as he worked those flames, as he took control and let them burn away the anger built up inside of himself. They watched, hoping that they too would find that strength.

Drake watched as his friends got into the car that morning, as they preparred to leave for their homes. They hesitated as they said goodbye, promising each other, and themselves, that they wouldn't be apart long. They'd stay in touch, get together again. One step ata time, they would get themselves, and each other through this.

Drake's eyes never lerft the car as it pulled away, as it drove off. He let the sun wash its warmth over him before stepping back into his house. He wouldn't let the safty of these walls hold him forever. His anger wouldn't burn inside of himself, hurt him. He took a deep breath, walking toward his room.

The people who'd done this to him were gone, locked away as he had once been. The house that had held him prisoner had burned away, never to hold another living soul again. he had nothing to fight, no one to be afraid of. Only his memories, and with every spoken word, they lost their strength. He didnt know what to fight now, who to turn his lingering anger on. Who he'd been could never be who he was. But he knew that he'd find find a way, one step at a time. he'd find peace, and he'd find himself.

_~...One foot in front of the other foot, In front of the one foot in front of the other foot...~_


	20. Breaking the chains

**Disclaimer:** I dont own Drake and josh.

**A/N**: So, this is the final chapter, I am truly sorry if it isnt very good... I'm going through a lot of personal stuff right now, just really stressed out. Things got really crazy really fast. I want to thank everyone who has reviewed since the beginning, because those reviews have kept a smile on my face. And to thank all of the ever silent readers for continuing to enjoy this fic.

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_"You are free to sever the chains of fate that bind you..." __**-Legend of the Dragoon**_

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He opened his eyes to the bright sunlight falling in through the window. He breathed heavily and let that warmth wash over him, let it quiet his nerves as he tried to pull himself out of bed. After today, the way things were would change. He would have to leave his sanctuary and try to re enter the world.

He'd missed so much school since the beginning, almost two monthes worth. He had to go back, to try and pick up the pieces of his life and put them back together. They'd allready told him that he would have to finish this years classes, and attend summer school in order to pass to the next grade. He suppossed that he could understand that, but, he didnt want to go.

He was sure that everyone there knew what had happened, where he'd been. What would they say? How would they look at him now? He didnt want to think about it.

So much had happened to him over the last seven weeks. He'd been kidnapped, abused, beaten and almost killed. He'd come home, tried to take control of himself... Sometimes it seemed like too much. As if he'd been trying to take on too much too soon. He'd wanted so badly to get over it all, push it all away. He wasnt sure he was ready yet.

The world outside his front door was full of uncertanties. People he didnt know, whose intentions he wasnt sure of. Cruelty, dishonesty, and criticism, they were all waiting for him out there. Ready to shun him, to laugh at the pain that still coursed through him. Those people wouldn't be able to see his scars, but they would see the person who carried them.

He listened as the bedroom door opened, turning slowly to see josh standing there. He smiled at the sight of his brother, his closest friend. Without Josh, he didnt know where he'd be right now. When he'd been stuborn, Josh had been patient. When he was weak, Josh was strong, and when he'd cried, Josh had been there to comfort him. If it hadn't been for Josh, Drake was sure that he might have just fell into his own darkness.

"You should get ready." Josh said softly. "We're gonna be late."

Drake smiled, pulling himself out of bad. They had a long day ahead of them. His mom had finally given in to letting him leave, so today, before he went back to school, he was meeting the others to visit Damien. His parents had recovered his body from Brendon's yard, and now it was safe, near their family home in Lancaster.

"I'll be ready soon." Drake said as he headed toward the bathroom.

Over the last few weeks, almost everything had healed. The bruises were gone, the cuts healed. All that remained were the scars, and he would have those for the rest of his life. Milky white lines carved into his flesh by leather straps. each one had its own story, had been given to him for a fault he couldn't control, or an act of rebelion to save himself. Looking at them now, he accepted what they said. He no longer shuddered at those memories. He was alive, he was free, and those scars were proof that he had fought to stay that way.

After his shower, he got dressed and put his guitar gently in its case before heading to the kitchen for brekfast. Audrey was standing at the counter, watching him as he sat at the table and ate.

He'd changed so much. A few weeks ago, he wouldnt even look her in the eyes, always shying away from her touch. He'd held his pain close, protecting his secrets and harboring his rage. Now when she looked at him, she saw into those deep, brown eyes, and they looked back. He smiled, and he laughed. Little by little, he was becoming more like himself. He was letting go of everything that had happened, breaking the chains that held that weight on his shoulders.

She knew that she couldnt keep him safe in the house forever, that she had to let him back into the world. The people that had hurt him were gone, locked away. But she feared for him, in a world where that evil had been free, where there could be others like that waiting in the shadows. She took a deep breath, grabbing his pills from their spot near the window and taking them to him. A few more weeks, and he'd be completly weened from them.

"Promise me you'll call as soon as you get there." She said as she handed him his pills.

"I promise." He said, taking them. "We're only going three hours away, we wont be far."

Three hours... For the month that he'd been missing, he'd only been three hours away. The whole time he'd been suffering, he'd only been a short drive away. It seemed strange to her that the place they'd been held, and their friends resting place had booth been three hours away from their home. Three hours in different directions from home.

"I know." She smiled. "I just want to make sure you boys get there okay." She said, eyes watering. She wouldn't cry, not now.

Drake stood from his chair and pulled his mother into a tight hug. "It's okay mom..." He whispered.

She smiled, holding him tightly. "I know..." She said softly. "I just worry..."

"I know." he said back, pulling away and offering her his best smile. "Josh will be with us, we'll be okay."

She nodded. moving away from him and back into the kitchen. Once she was out of his sight, she let the tears silently fall. He was stronger now then he'd been when they had first got him back. He was moving on. She only hoped that she would have some of that strength, that she would be able to push those horrors away like he had.

"You ready?" josh asked as he came into the kitchen.

"Yeah," Drake smiled, heading toward the door.

Meghan watched as Drake left the house, as Josh looked back at her. She'd forgiven Josh because Drake had wanted her too. But even after all that Josh had done to help him over these last few weeks, she didnt trust him with Drake's safty.

"Bring him back in one piece." she said softly, though he could hear the danger in her voice.

"I promise." Josh said before exiting the house.

Drake looked back at the house, part of him wanting to run back into its safe walls. Inside that house, no one could hurt him. But if he stayed there, safely hidden away, the rest of his life would pass him by. He didnt want to be locked away anymore. he refused to be a prisoner of his memories, or the chains they'd built around him.

He took a deep, shaky breath and turned away from the house, counting the steps it took to reach the car. He could do this. He didnt look back at the house as he got into the car, as they pulled out of the driveway. He could feel his hands shaking as they drove away, could hear his heart beating in his ears. He exhaled.

Nothing had changed in the month that he had been gone, but the world looked different to him now. It seemed too big, the people in it seemed unreal. There were so many of them walking around, driving in cars and just existing. He looked at them, not knowing anything about them, what they expected of him, and it scared him. He knew that they werent all dangerous, but he couldnt shake the fear that uncertanty brought.

They didnt talk much as they drove. Josh was content to let Drake be as he watched the world glide by through the window. The music played softly, filling the silence as the minutes drained away. He knew that Drake was nervous about going back to school, he couldnt imagine what it was like. Though the reports hadnt used his name, people were putting it all together. The teachers had instructed the students to 'be nice', not to mention any of it, but that wasnt going to stop them. They were curious, and, some of them were like that girl who'd been in the Premire, cruel. The best thing he could do was stay at Drake's side, be there for him when he needed him. And he wouldnt let anything stop him.

After hours of driving, they were finally in Lancaster. They followed the GPS instructions until they found the cemetary where Damien's family had burried him. Drake took a moment in the car to call his mom, assuring her that they were all right before stepping out into the bright afternoon sun. He let its warmth sooth the anxiety racing through him before setting out to find the others.

He smiled when he saw them, standing near a stone decorated with flowers. He ran forward, letting his fear go as Zane pulled him into a quick hug, as Ash put a hand on his shoulder. It felt good to be here with them, to feel safe.

He looked over at Damien's stone, not the makeshift slab of concrete he'd had at the house, but a real stone. Drake knelt down infront of it, his fingers lightly tracing the lines that formed Damien's name. He closed his eyes, resting his palm against the stone and let the lonly tear fall. He would never forget Damien, his smile, the comfort he'd offered. Though he wasn't very religious anymore, he said a prayer for his friend. Looking at the stone, Drake hoped that Ash was right, that if there was a god, he'd made an exception for Damien and let him into heaven. "Thank you," He whispered. "For everything you did for me."

Drake turned toward his friends, toward Josh, and smiled. Damien was home, he was safe from the evils that the world had thrown at him. "He's finally at peace." he said softly.

"He's where he was meant to be." ash said, kneeling down next to drake. "he's home."

Drake nodded, swallowing tears. he wouldn't cry today, not now.

"Who wants lunch?" Zane said, lifting up a picnic basket and smiling.

They didnt care what anyone who might pass by thought. They spread out a small grey blanket in front of Damien's grave and passed around sandwiches and chips. They let the sun work the color back into their skin as they talked about home, about the changes in their lives. Nothing was as it had been for any of them, and it could never be the same.

They finished eating, looking over at each other as a cool breeze caressed their warm skin. With heavy hearts, they talked about what had happened in brendon's house. They didnt allow themselvs to relive it as they talked, they simply let it out. All of their emotions, every ounce of pain spilling from trembaling lips. They had to let go, to break the hold the past had on them.

Josh listened as they talked, hearing every memory as the words floated away with the wind. He'd heard Drake's story, now, he knew theirs. It took a lot of strength to live through what had happened to them, to keep going when it was over rather then hide in the darkness. he was proud of all of them, inspired even. They had walked through the fire, and though they had burns, they were clearing away the ashes.

They smiled and laughed as they let the past slip by, as they took in the future. After hours of talk, they finally cleared away the lunch and blanket, standing together around Damien's grave they made a promise. They knew now, that their lives didnt just belong to them. They also belonged to the people who'd died, their captive brothers who'd lost the strength to go on, who'd gone too soon. Tey closed their eyes, remembering. Drake had only known Damien, and even Zane and Ash hadnt known all of the fallen, but they promised to live not only for themselves, but for all of those who had passed away in that place.

As they were saying goodbye to damien, a little girl walked through the rows of stones, flowers in her small hands. The sun shone on her soft blond hair, creating the image of a halo shining above her blue eyes. Abigale approached the group slowly, whiping the tears away from her eyes as she offered a bright smile. She remembered Ash, the others, she thought, must have been there with her brother too.

She walked up to the group, looking over them as she made her way to her brother's stone. She placed the flowers atop it, breathing heavily as she whispered words none of them could hear. Loosing Damien had hurt all of them, and they couldnt imagine what it was like fir his little sister.

"Hello, Abigale." Ash said, smiling.

She turned toward them again, tears in her eyes. "You came to see him."

"We all miss him." Zane said.

"He was a very good friend." Drake offered. He could see the hurt in her eyes, alot like that look meghan had had in her eyes when he'd first come home.

"He would be happy that you were here." She said softly. "I'm glad that your here. I think he gets lonly..."

Ash kelt down beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "As long as he has you, he will never be alone." he offered.

She nodded, pulling Ash into a hug as she tried not to cry. "Thank you."

He pushed back his own tears as he pulled away from her. "anytime." He nodded, standing and rejoining the group.

She watched them as they said goodbye to each other, as they walked back to their cars. It hurt, knowing that Damien was gone, that he'd never be there with her again. But she was thankful that he had had such good friends before he died. She looked down to his stone, placing her hand against his name. He would never be alone, she would always remember him, and, so would they.

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Drake and Josh got back into the car, watching as Ash and Zane slowly drove off. Drake took a deep breath, looking at Josh, seeing the way he was looking back.

"Are you okay?" Drake asked.

"I feel really bad for her." Josh replied. "Her brother was gone so long, and in the end, she didnt get him back. It doesnt seem fair..."

Drake nodded. He was glad to be alive, that his families nightmare had ended. But he would have given anything to bring Damien back to his family, to see him again. "Its not fair..." he whispered.

Josh placed a hand on Drake's shoulder, seeing the hurt in his eyes. "I'm sorry..." he exhaled heavily. "If i'd have lost you, I don't know what I would have done. I thought about it though..." Josh turned his eyes away from Drake. "If you would have... died, I would have gone too. The guilt, the hurt, I would have killed myself." Josh confessed.

Drake shook his head. "My life isnt worth yours." he said. "it would have torn everyone apart, to loose us booth."

Josh nodded. "Your life is worth alot more then you think, you, are worth more..." He whiped away the tears, starting the car.

"thank you." Drake said, offering Josh a classic smile.

The drive home was much the same as the drive down. Drake watched as the sun sank into the horizon, as it set on the past to get ready for the future. Tomorrow he'd go back to school, back to life as it had been. The world was waiting for him, life was beconing him forward.

As they got closer to home, he started asking Josh about school. What was everyone saying about him? He was afriad of their words, of how different things would be. He had no dobt that the cool, suave mguy he'd been was gone now, that the others would look at him differently. Like something dirty, something broken.

There were rumors at school, whispers and speculations, Josh told him. Everyone was curious, many of them, expecially the girls, missed him. The meaner students would no doubt give him a hard time, the nicer ones would give him space and try to pretend nothing had changed.

"No matter what happens, I'm there for you." josh promised. "You dont have to go through any of it alone."

"Im afraid." Drake shuddered. "Not just of what they'll think, or say. I'm afraid of whats waiting for me outside the house."

Josh nodded. "Fear has a pretty tight hold on you," Josh said. "But you have the power to break that hold, to overcome it and leave it behind. It won't happen overnight, but, eventually, you'll be free of it. And I'll be there with you, every step of the way."

Drake nodded, pushing back tears. "thank you." he whispered loudly.

When they got home dinner was on the table. Audrey looked over both of them, assuring herself that they were there, they were all right. She smiled, giving them their space. "Eat up."

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The alarm screeched in the silence, forcing them awake in the early hours of a new day. Drake opened his eyes, seeing the early morning light as it crept in through the window._ I can do this..._ He told himself as he crawled out of bed. He got dressed in his old clothes, tried to follow that routine he'd almost forgotten.

He went down to the kitchen, eating quickly and grabbing his pills. The bottles were nearly empty, when they were, he wouldnt have to take them anymore. Soon, he thought as he swallowed them with a glass of water.

He waited for josh to come downstairs, alert and ready as ever. Their eyes met, and Josh offered hm a comforting smile. Drake smiled back, trying to hide how nervous he was. Over and over, he told himself that everything was going to be all right. He said it until he started to believe it. With Josh by his side, he could do this.

Audrey watched as the boys left the house, her breath catching in her chest. She wanted to chase after them, to drive them herself and make sure nothing went wrong. She stopped herself, letting them go. She put faith in the world as she let her boys go out into it.

They sat in the school parking lot, watching as the students flooded into the building. Over his shoulder, Drake could see the spot where he'd been when he got into that strangers car. Where it had all began. He shook away the memory, nodding to Josh before stepping out of the car.

One step at a time, the approached the school together. Drake looked at all of the people watching him, some whispereing, others offering smiles and waves._ I can do this_. he told himself again. He waved back, saying hello and swallowing the urge to run back to the car. This was his life, and he wanted back into it.

One foot in front of the other, he entered the school, saw the forgotten faces of his classmates and the welcoming looks on the teacher's faces. Some faces held honest joy to see him back, others pity, and some, curiousity. he let their faces slip by, offering his old smile as he and Josh walked through the halls, toward their lockers.

It wasnt going to be easy, he was smart enough to know that. But he could do this, with Josh by his side, his friends only a phone call away. He wasnt alone, and he wouldnt be afraid. He had been freed of the chains that Brendon had put him in, and now, he would break the chains that tried to hold him back.


End file.
